THE  GIFT  OF 

FLORENCE  V.  V.  DICKEY 

TO  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DONALD  R.  DICKEY 

LIBRARY 
OF  VERTEBRATE  ZOOLOGY 


THE  MUSEUM 

OF 
THE  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  OF  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES 

SCIENCE    BULLETIN 

VOL.  2,  NO.  6 


A  CONTRIBUTION  TO  THE  ORNITHOLOGY 
OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION   - 


BY 
GEORGE  K«CHERRIE 


K.CH 


Published  for  the 
BROOKLYN  MUSEUM 

EASTERN  PARKWAY,  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 
SEPTEMBER  I,  1916 


THE  MUSEUM 


OF 
THE  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  OF  ARTS  AND  SCIENCES 


SCIENCE      BULLETIN 
VOL.  2,  NO.  6. 


A    CONTRIBUTION     TO    THE    ORNITHOLOGY    OF    THE 
ORINOCO  REGION. 

BY  GEORGE  K.  CHERRIE. 

This  paper  is  based  chiefly  on  specimens  in  the  collection  of  the 
Museum  of  The  Brooklyn  Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  obtained  by 
the  writer,  together  with  his  field  notes  on  the  same.1  It  includes,  how- 
ever, observations  on  the  specimens  sent  to  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History  from  the  vicinity  of  Ciudad  Bolivar  on  the  Orinoco 
and  various  points  on  the  Caura  River  by  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Klages. 

In  1905  collections  were  made  by  the  writer  for  the 
Brooklyn  Museum  in  the  vicinity  of  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  the 
village  of  Caicara  covering  the  period  from  April  3rd  to  June 
24th  inclusive.  In  1907  collecting  was  carried  on  in  the  same  local- 
ities as  in  1905,  and  in  addition  at  various  points  on  the  River  San 
Feliz,  near  its  junction  with  the  River  Cuchivero,  a  tributary  of  the 
Orinoco,  entering  that  stream  some  forty  miles  below  the  village  of 
Caicara.  Also  a  week's  time  was  spent  in  the  middle  delta  region  of 
the  Orinoco  at  the  village  of  Las  Barrancas.  The  collecting  in  1907 
covered  the  period  between  April  6th  and  August  7th  inclusive.  In 
addition,  however,  to  the  notes  on  specimens  in  the  Brooklyn  Museum 
collection,  there  have  been  added  certain  notes  and  observations  on 
species  collected  and  observed  by  Stella  M.  Cherrie  and  the  writer  in 
the  valley  of  the  Orinoco  in  1897,  1898,  and  1899,  while  engaged  in 
collecting  birds  for  the  Tring  Museum,  England.  Thus  not  only  are 

'The  manuscript  for  this  paper  was  completed  some  five  or  six  years  ago,  and  passed  out  of  the 
author's  hands  at  that  time.  After  some  vicissitudes,  it  was  being  published  under  the  editorship  of 
the  late  Edward  L.  Morris,  acting  Curator-in-Chief  of  the  Brooklyn  Museum.  His  untimely  death  left 
it  partly  in  page  proof  and  partly  in  galley  proof.  The  old  proof  sheets  have  been  placed  in  the  writer's 
tritvl.s,  and  recently  published  investigations  of  various  students  of  tropical  American  ornithology  have 
made  considerable  revision  necessary.  The  paper,  therefore,  is  not  as  complete  as  might  be  desired,  nor  does 
it  represent  the  most  recent  views  on  classification. 

I  vyish  to  express  my  sincere  gratitude  to  Mr.  Waldron  DeWitt  Miller  for  his  patient,  careful  work 
in  reading  the  proof.  To  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  and  Dr.  F'rank  M.  Chapman  I  am  also  indebted  for  granting  me 
full  use  of  the  collections  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.— THE  AUTHOR. 

133* 


•5014G3 


134  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

species  actually  represented  in  the  Brooklyn  Museum  collections 
included,  but  also  all  additional  forms  that  were  collected  or  observed 
on  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco ;  while,  to  make  the  paper  more 
complete,  and  particularly  in  the  interest  of  those  who  may  not  have 
access  to  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper  "On  the  Birds  of  the  Orinoco 
Region,1"  there  are  added  all  species  from  the  Orinoco  proper,  and 
its  tributary  the  Caura  River,  included  in  that  paper,  but  not  ob- 
served by  the  writer.  Also,  species  that  have  been  recorded  from  the 
Orinoco  region,  since  the  publication  of  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper, 
and  that  have  come  to  the  notice  of  the  writer  are  included. 

Where  colors  are  given  of  the  eye  and  naked  parts  about  the  head, 
of  the  bill,  and  of  the  feet,  they  are  the  result  of  a  direct  comparison 
with  the  colored  plates  in  Ridgway's  "Nomenclature  of  Colors"  and 
were  made  in  the  field  from  freshly  killed  specimens. 

For  almost  all  groups  "keys"  for  the  more  ready  determination  of 
the  various  genera,  and  their  species,  have  been  inserted,  following  the 
preliminary  observations  under  each  of  the  family  headings.  Many  of 
these  keys,  with  slight  alterations,  were  prepared  by  the  writer  for  his 
convenience  in  the  identification  of  specimens  in  the  field.  And  while 
the  keys  were  constructed  primarily  as  aids  in  identifying  the  species 
known  to  inhabit  the  immediate  valley  of  the  Orinoco,  there  are 
frequently  included  the  necessary  "characters"  distinguishing  many 
species  known  to  be  found  in  contiguous  territory.  It  must  be  under- 
stood, however,  that  no  effort  has  been  made  to  supply  "keys"  to  the 
birds  of  other  regions  of  northern  South  America. 

The  nomenclature  and  determination  of  species  is  much  the 
same  as  that  employed  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  in  their  paper 
which  was  based  chiefly  on  the  collection  made  in  the  same  region  by 
Mrs.  Cherrie  and  myself  in  1897  to  1899,  and  the  Andre  and  Klages 
collections  from  the  Caura  River  district. 

The  references  to  Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  unless  specifically  noted 
to  the  contrary,  are  to  their  paper,  and  the  nomenclature  where  not 
otherwise  indicated  is  the  same. 

TURDIDAE— THE  THRUSHES. 

Six  thrushes  are  found  on  the  Orinoco :  five  are  resident  forms  of 
the  genus  Planesticus  and  one  a  North  American  migrant  of  the  genus 
Hylocichla.  The  latter  is  probably  never  found  in  juvenal  plumage 

•Novitates  Zoologicae  IX.   1902.  p.  134. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  135 

on  the  Orinoco,  consequently  the  character  of  having  'the  breast 
spotted  will  serve  to  distinguish  Hylocichla  from  adult  examples  of 
Planesticus  among  birds  seen  or  taken  in  the  Orinoco  region. 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  TURDIDAE. 

a.     None  of  the  primaries  sinuated  on  the  outer  webs Calharus. l 

a'.    Some  of  the  primaries  sinuated  on  the  outer  webs. 

b.     Not  more  than  three  primaries  sinuated  on  the  outer  webs Hylocichla  aliciae  aliciae. 

b'.    Four  primaries  sinuated  on  the  outer  webs Planeslicus. 

c.     Skin  about  eye  bare  (in  life  bright  citron  yellow) Planesticus  gymnophthalmus 

«'.    Skin  about  eye  feathered. 

d.     A  white  patch  below  the  blackish  or  dusky  streaks  on  the  throat. 

e.     Above  a  rich  olive  brown  strongly  washed  with  rufous Planeslicus  phaeopygus 

phaeopygus. 

e'.    Above  rich  olive  brown  with  greenish  wash Planesticus  phaeopygus 

phaeopygoides. 
d'.    No  white  patch  below  the  streaks  on  the  throat. 

e.    General  color  above  a  subdued  olive  brown,  below  greyish  brown.  Planesticus  albiventer. 

e'.   General  color  above  tawny  olive  brown,  below  ochraceous  brown.  Planesticus  fumigatus. 

PLANESTICUS  GYMNOPHTHALMUS   (Cabanis). 

Turdus  gymnophthalmus  Cab.  in  Schomb.  Reise  Brit.  Guiana  III.  1848. 
p.  665 ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  2. 

Retiring  and  shy,  frequenting  clumps  of  trees  and  thickets  in  the 
ppen  savanna,  and  the  underbrush  near  the  borders  of  large  timber. 
It  has  a  pleasing  song,  and  call  and  alarm  notes  that  somewhat 
resemble  those  of  the  American  Robin.  Insects  and  fruits  are  included 
in  the  diet  and  obtained  chiefly  from  among  the  branches  as  I  rarely 
saw  this  thrush  on  the  ground.  The  common  native  name  for  this 
and  the  following  species  is  "Paraulata  Montanera."  They  are  occa- 
sionally kept  as  cage  birds  and  become  exceedingly  tame. 

In  life  the  eye  is  chestnut,  the  bare  skin  about  eye  citron  yellow; 
bill  dusky  olive  buff  with  pale  cutting  edges ;  feet  smoke  grey.  A 
male  bird  taken  at  Maipures  above  the  first  falls  on  the  Orinoco,  had 
the  bare  skin  about  eye  ochre  yellow  arid  the  eyelids  orange-rufous. 

Nesting  begins  with  the  approach  of  the  rainy  season — in  the 
vicinity  of  Caicara,  early  in  May — and  continues  until  the  end  of  June. 
A  nest  taken  at  Caicara  June  9,  1905,  (Brooklyn  Museum  Collection) 
was  loosely  placed  on  the  thickly  matted  horizontal  branches  of  a  low 
shrub,  about  1.21  m.  from  the  ground.  It  was  a  rather  bulky  affair 
with  the  exterior  outlines  of  a  truncated  cone,  9  centimeters  high,  25 
centimeters  in  diameter  at  the  base  and  12  at  the  top.  The  bulky 

'The  "Orinoco  Valley"  is  taken  as  type  locality  (I)  for  Catharus  birchalli  Seebohm. 


136  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

part  of  the  nest  consists  of  coarse  dead  grass,  weed  stems,  rootlets, 
and  a  few  dead  leaves.  Then  comes  the  nest  cavity  built  up  of 
rather  fine  rootlets  and  dead  grasses  mixed  with  mud,  with  an  inner 
lining  of  coarse  rootlets.  The  inside  of  the  nest  measures  9  cm.  in 
diameter  by  4  cm.  in  depth.  Incubation  was  so  far  advanced  in  the 
two  eggs  taken  with  this  nest  that  only  one  could  be  saved.  The  egg 
is  a  pale  greenish  blue  rather  thickly  speckled  all  over  with  russet. 
In  addition  spots  of  burnt  umber  are  thickly  mixed  with  the  russet 
about  the  larger  end,  and  some  underlying  ecru-drab  spots.  This  egg 
measures  30  x  21.5  mm. 

Another  nest  collected  at  Caicara  June  21.  1907.  was  taken  inside 
the  village  limits  in  a  courtyard  and  not  over  7  m.  from  the  door  of  a 
house  where  a  large  family  of  children  were  constantly  passing  back 
and  forth.  This  nest  was  about  3.5  m.  from  the  ground  at  the  base 
of  a  large  horizontal  limb  of  a  Guava  tree.  It  resembled  the  first  in 
all  essential  features.  The  dimensions  of  this  nest  are:  outside,  depth 
7  cm.,  diameter  at  rim  11.5  cm.;  inside  depth  4  cm.,  diameter  8.2  cm. 
The  outlines  of  this  nest  are  not  as  symmetrical  as  the  one  in  the  pre- 
vious description.  Incubation  had  begun  in  the  three  eggs  taken 
with  this  nest.  The  eggs  themselves  are  smaller  than  the  one  previ- 
ously described  and  are  more  typically  ovate  in  form ;  they  measure 
29x19;  27.5x19.5  and  28.5x19.5  mm.  respectively.  The  greenish 
blue  ground  color  is  less  clear,  and  in  two  of  the  set  the  markings  are 
much  larger,  and  more  thickly  speckled  over  the  surface,  especially 
about  the  larger  end ;  in  the  last  of  the  set  the  specks  and  spots  are 
nearly  uniformly  distributed  over  the  entire  surface. 

In  yet  another  set  of  three  eggs,  collected  on  the  2Oth  of  June,  the 
pattern  of  coloration  differs  considerably  from  those  described  above. 
In  one  of  the  three  the  greenish  blue  ground  color  has  a  yellowish  or 
buff  wash ;  the  irregular  small  spots  and  dots  of  color  are  larger  all 
over  the  surface  and  very  thickly  massed  about  the  larger  end.  In 
the  other  two  eggs  the  ground  color  is  the  same  pale  greenish  blue  but 
the  markings  are  confined  entirely  to  the  larger  end.  In  one  egg 
these  form  a  chestnut  cap,  the  edges  of  which  are  broken  into  spots 
and  dots  of  chestnut  overlying  rufous.  In  the  last  egg  the  spots  and 
blotches  of  chestnut  overlying  others  of  rufous  form  a  broad  band 
about  the  larger  end.  These  eggs  measure  27.  x  19.5  ;  28.75  x  2O-2  > 
28.5  x  20  mm.,  respectively. 

The  nest  from  which  these  eggs  were  taken  and  from  which  the 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  137 

parent  bird  was  flushed,  was  located  about  3.5  m.  up  amid  the  thick 
branches  of  a  small  tree  standing  in  a  thicket  on  the  edge  of  the 
savanna.  When  discovered  there  was  over  half  an  inch  of  water  in 
the  bottom  of  the  nest,  the  mud  that  had  been  used  in  its  construction 
having  been  so  firmly  packed  and  mixed  with  the  grasses  and  other 
nesting  materials  that  after  a  heavy  rain  the  water  escaped  through 
very  slowly. 

My  observations  indicated  that  the  number  of  eggs  in  a  set  varies 
from  two  to  four;  the  latter  number  is,  however,  unusual. 

Specimens  of  the  Bare-eyed  Thrush  from  Trinidad,  together 
with  one  example  from  the  delta  region  of  the  Orinoco,  are  uniformly 
richer,  less  greyish  olive  above  than  examples  from  the  middle 
Orinoco,  and  there  appears  to  be  a  greater  amount  of  white  on  the 
lower  breast  and  abdomen.  It  seems  not  improbable  that  the  exam- 
ination of  a  large  series  would  justify  the  subspecific  separation  of 
the  two  forms. 

PLANESTICUS  AI.BIVENTER  (Spix). 

Turdus  albiventer  Spix.  Av.  Bras.  I.  1824.  p.  70 ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert 
p.  2. 

Specimens  were  collected  on  the  Orinoco  at  various  points, 
including  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Quiribana  de  Caicara, 
Urbana  and  Maipures,  from  the  delta  region  at  Las  Barrancas  up- 
ward, as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Vichada  River. 

In  life  the  eye  is  vandyk'e  brown;  bill  mouse  grey  with  yellowish 
cutting  edges;  feet  smoke  grey. 

Spix's  Thrush,  like  the  preceding  species,  frequents  dense  thickets 
and  is  shy  and  retiring.  In  many  of  its  actions  this  bird  resembles 
the  American  Robin  but  is  usually  conspicuous  by  its  absence  about 
the  houses,  both  in  the  country  and  in  the  villages.  The  nesting 
habits  and  nests  are  similar  to  those  of  T.  gymnophthalmus.  A  nest 
taken  at  Caicara,  June  14,  1904,  was  found  in  a  dense  thicket,  in  the 
forks  of  a  small  sapling,  1.52  m.  from  the  ground.  This  nest  con- 
tained three  eggs,  only  one  of  which  was  preserved,  owing  to  the 
advanced  state  of  incubation.  This  egg  is  a  pale  bluish  green  thickly 
marked  with  blotches  and  spots  varying  in  color  from  cinnamon- 
rufous  to  chestnut  overlying  pale  ecru-drab  blotches;  it  is  ovate  in 
form  and  measures  20  x  28  mm. 


138  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

Three  fresh  eggs  and  a  nest  were  taken  at  Caicara,  June  6,  1905. 
This  nest  was  only  about  1.2  m.  from  the  ground  in  the  forks  of 
a  sapling.  These  eggs  have  the  same  ground  color  as  that  described 
above,  but  two  of  them  are  so  thickly  marked  with  small  spots  and 
specks  of  rufous  and  chestnut  as  to  remind  one  of  eggs  of  the  Brown 
Thrasher  (Toxostoma  rufum).  The  remaining  egg  is  marked  less  thickly 
and  with  larger  spots  of  varying  shades  of  color  from  rufous  to  chestnut 
overlying  pale  ecru-drab  spotting.  The  eggs  are  all  ovate.  They  measure 
26  x  20  mm. ;  27  x  21  mm.  and  28  x  21  mm. 

Another  nest  collected  on  May  22nd,  at  Caicara  is  rather  unusual, 
being  less  bulky  than  is  the  rule,  and  constructed  almost  entirely  of 
the  long  fine  rootlets  that  spring  from  about  the  trunks  and  larger 
branches  of  some  of  the  trees  of  the  genus  Ficus.  Only  a  very 
little  mud  is  used  in  the  structure.  There  is  .a  lining  of  larger  root- 
lets as  in  the  ordinary  nest.  The  inside  measurements  of  the  nest 
are  8.5  cm.  in  diameter  by  4  cm.  in  depth.  The  three  eggs  taken 
with  this  nest,  as  is  the  case  with  those  described  above,  show  much 
individual  variation.  They  average  smaller,  measuring  19x24;  19  x 
25  and  18  x  23.5  mm. 

A  nest  with  four  fresh  eggs  (No.  1451  Brooklyn  Museum  Collec- 
tion) collected  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  15,  1907,  was 
unusual  in  that  no  mud  had  been  employed  in  its  construction.  It 
was  located  in  a  niche,  2.4  m.  up,  in  the  side  of  a  huge  boulder  that 
was  surrounded  by  low  trees  and  tangled  bushes  of  the  savanna. 
That  mud  had  not  been  used  in  the  building  of  this  nest  was  prob- 
ably due  to  the  fact  that  it  could  not  have  been  obtained  within  a  dis- 
tance of  less  than  two  miles :  the  dry  season  was  at  its  height,  and 
the  savanna  on  all  sides  was  parched  and  dry.  This  nest  was  placed 
so  closely  against  the  wall  of  rock  that  at  its  back  only  the  thickness 
of  the  inner  lining  of  rootlets  intervened  between  them.  Parallel 
with  the  face  of  the  rock  the  base  of  the  nest  measured  24  cm. :  at  right 
angles  to  the  face  18  cm.:  the  outside  depth  was  7.5  cm.  The  nest 
cavity  measures  9  cm.  diameter  by  4.5  cm.  in  depth, — almost  a  per- 
fect hemisphere.  The  body  of  the  nest  is  made  up  of  very  fine  bits 
of  grass  and  plant  stems,  strips  of  soft  inner  bark,  dead  leaves,  etc. 
Of  the  four  eggs  taken  with  this  nest  two  are  thickly  marked  with 
small  spots  and  specks  (chiefly  pale  rufous)  nearly  evenly  distributed 
over  the  entire  surface.  The  other  two  are  marked  with  much  larger 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  139 

spots  and  blotches  of  various  shades  of  brown,  from  rufous  to  chest- 
nut ;  in  one,  nearly  uniformly  distributed,  in  the  other  thickest  about 
the  larger  end.  They  are  ovate  in  form  and  measure  28.25x20; 
28.75  x  19 ;  26-5  y-  19  and  27.75  x  2O  mm-  respectively.  The  eggs  of 
P.  albiventer  cannot  be  distinguished  from  those  of  its  congener 
P.  gymnophthalmus. 

PLANESTICUS  FUMIGATUS  (Lichtenstein). 

Turdus  fumigatus  Licht.,  Verz.  Doubl.  1823.  p.  38;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert 

P-  3- 

The  marked  variation  in  color  presented  by  a  series  of  these 
thrushes  from  various  localities  throughout  northern  South  America 
has  been  already  commented  on  by  ornithologists.  The  series  before 
the  writer  is  entirely  too  small  and  too  meagre  in  localities  repre- 
sented, to  give  any  satisfactory  idea  of  the  geographical  distribution 
of  the  three  or  four  races  into  which  it  seems  the  species  might  be 
separable.  Indeed,  the  distribution  indicated  by  the  material  at  hand 
is  most  perplexing. 

The  writer  has  met  with  this  thrush  on  the  upper  Orinoco,  above 
the  falls  of  Atures  and  those  of  Maipures,  and  in  Trinidad.  At 
the  present  time  he  has  for  comparison,  specimens  from  Trinidad, 
British  Guiana,  El  Pilar  on  the  north  coast  of  Venezuela,  Nericagua 
on  the  upper  Orinoco,  Cayenne,  and  three  points  in  Brazil,  viz.,  Santarem, 
Diamantina  and  Maranhao. 

From  the  upper  Orinoco  region  (Nericagua)  only  one  bird  is 
available  for  comparison.  It  is  a  female,  taken  April  23rd,  and  agrees 
almost  exactly  in  color  with  an  example  from  Santarem,  Brazil  (with- 
out sex  or  other  data),  but  is  decidedly  smaller,  the  wing  measuring 
only  105  mm.  and  the  tail  95,  while  in  the  Brazilian  specimen  the  wing 
measures  118  mm.  and  the  tail  no  mm. 

The  specimens  from  Trinidad  are  uniformly  much  lighter  in 
(color  than  those  from  the  other  localities  in  the  series  before  me, 
being  a  raw  umber,  with  a  pronounced  olive  wash  and  with  a  narrow 
russet  edging  to  the  outer  edges  of  the  quills,  greater,  and  middle 
wing  coverts.  The  Nericagua  and  Santarem  birds  are  dark  mummy 
brown  above  with  a  wash  of  vandyke,  while  the  tips  and  outer  edges 
of  greater  and  middle  coverts  are  cinnamon-rufous  in  the  Nericagua 
example  (a  characteristic  which  may  be  due  to  immaturity).  The 


140  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Trinidad  birds  are  so  different  that  I  have  recently  separated  them  as 
P.  fumigatus  aqitilonalis.1 

PLANESTICUS  PHAEOPYGUS  PHAEOPYGUS  (Cabanis). 
Turdus  phaeopygus  Cab.  in  Schomb.  Reise  Brit.  Guiana  II.  1848.  p.  666; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert  p.  3. 

Collected  on  the  Caura  River2  by  Klages  (Mountains  west  of 
Suapure)  and  by  Andre  (La  Pricion).  It  is  replaced  in  the  delta 
region  of  the  Orinoco  by  the  Tobagan  subspecies.  (P.  p.  phaeopygoides.) 

PLANESTICUS  PHAEOPYGUS  PHAEOPYGOIDES  (Seebohm). 
Turdus  phaeopygoides  Seebohm,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  V.  1881.  p.  404 

(Tobago). 
Turdus  phaeopygus  phaeopygoides  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII,   1906. 

p.  4  (Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta). 

Hellmayr  in  preparing  his  paper  on  the  birds  of  Trinidad  records 
a  specimen  from  Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco  delta,  collected  by  Andre. 

HYLOCICHLA  ALICIAE  ALICIAE  (Baird). 
Turdus  aliciae  Baird,  Rep.  Pacific  R.  R.  Surv.  IX.  1858.  p.  217;  Ber- 

lepsch &  Hartert  p.  3. 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  the  Grey-cheeked  Thrush 
was  observed  at  irregular  intervals  from  December  until  the  middle 
of  April.  Specimens  were  collected  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  and  at 
Maipures  above  the  falls.  Only  solitary  birds'  were  seen.  None  have 
been  observed  on  the  more  recent  expeditions. 

MIMIDAE—  THE  MOCKING  BIRDS. 

This  family  is  represented  in  the  Orinoco  region  by  a  single  sub- 
species of  the  genus  M.imus  and  one  species  of  the  genus  Donacobius. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA  OF  MIMIDAE. 

a.     "No  naked  space  on  side  of  neck;  tail  graduated  for  less  than  one-fourth 

its  length."3  ....................................................      Mimus. 


ge  naked  space  on  side  of  neck;   tail  graduated  for  nearly  half  its 
length  "3  ....................................................... 


MIMUS  GILVUS  MELANOPTERUS  Lawrence. 

Mimus  melanopterus  Lawr.,  Ann.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  1849.  P-  35- 
Mimus  gilvus  melanopterus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  3. 

^Sci.  Bull.  Mus.  Bklyn.  Inst.  I.  1909.  p.  387. 

2The  Caura  is  a  tributary  of  the  Orinoco  entering  from   the  right  side,  and  draining  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  mountainous  region  between  British  Guiana  and  Venezuela. 
'Ridgway  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America,  IV.    1907.    p.  183. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  14! 

Native  name  Paraulata.  Common  everywhere  on  the  savannas, 
frequenting  the  small  clumps  of  trees  and  more  open  thickets.  The 
habits  are  similar  to  those  of  our  own  mocking-bird,  although  it  is 
perhaps  less  shy.  Nests  are  frequently  built  in  the  immediate  vicin- 
ity of  the  native  ranch  houses. 

At  San  Mateo  de  Caicara  on  May  22,  1905,  three  fresh  eggs  were 
taken  from  a  nest,  found  in  a  small  tree,  about  1.5  m.  from  the  ground. 
The  tree  stood  alone,  close  to  a  house  and  the  nest  was  in  plain  view 
from  all  sides.  The  eggs  are  marked  with  reddish  brown  spots,  which 
in  two  of  them  were  so  thickly  set  as  to  nearly  obscure  the  pale  blu- 
ish green  ground  color.  The  third  egg  is  rather  sparsely  spotted, 
except  about  the  larger  end,  and  the  color  of  the  spots  is  darker,  while 
the  ground  is  a  richer  bluish  green.  The  eggs  are  ovate  in  form  and 
measure  25.5  x  19.75  >  2&-2  x  J9-75  and  25-5  x  T9-5  mm-  Four  days 
elapsed  after  the  completion  of  the  nest  before  any  eggs  were  laid, 
then  one  egg  was  deposited  every  twenty-four  hours. 

A  nest  taken  by  the  writer  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  April  21, 
1898,  was  found  in  a  low  bush  at  the  edge  of  the  open  savanna  about 
91.5  cm.  from  the  ground.  It  was  constructed  of  coarse  dry  sticks 
lined  with  dry  grasses  and  rootlets.  The  eggs  taken  with  this  nest 
measure  "27  x  19.5  ;  25.6  x  19.5  ;  and  25.6  x  19.8  mm."1 

Another  nest  found  May  25,  1898,  was  in  a  dense  clump  of  thorny 
bushes  at  the  edge  of  the  open  savanna.  This  nest  was  only  61  cm.  from 
the  ground. 

At  Caicara  on  the  6th  day  of  May,  1907,  a  nest  with  three  eggs 
was  taken  that  was  similarly  placed  to  that  of  the  .last,  only  about 
61  cm.  up  in  a  thicket  of  thorny  palm  stems.  Incubation  had  begun, 
and  was  much  further  advanced  in  one  egg  than  in  the  other  two. 
The  eggs  measure  27.4  x  19.5  ;  27.5  x  20.  and  27.75  x  19  mm.  Com- 
pared with  the  set  first  described  the  markings  are  somewhat  darker 
and  in  larger  spots.  In  the  smallest  of  the  three  eggs  the  markings 
are  uniformly  distributed  over  the  entire  surface  and  very  thickly  set. 
In  the  largest  egg  the  markings  are  lightest  in  color,  fewest  in  number 
and  clustered  most  about  the  larger  end. 

Eggs  of  the  Colombia  Mocking-bird  are  indistinguishable  from 
those  of  either  Planesticus  albiventer  or  P.  gymnophthalmus. 

A  male  in  Juvenal  plumage  taken  at  Caicara,  June  2,  1905,  has  a 
greyish  eye  and  dusky  bill  and  feet.  It  is  smoke  grey  above,  clear  on 

'Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  3- 


142  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6'. 

the  head  and  mottled  with  a  wash  of  wood  brown.  The  wings  and 
tail  are  black,  tips  and  outer  edges  of  primaries  and  alula  white.  Ter- 
tials,  secondaries  and  coverts  are  tipped  and  edged  with  pale  buffy 
wood  brown.  Outer  edges  of  outer  pair  and  tips  of  five  outer  rec- 
trices  white.  Below  dull  white  washed  with  buff  and  spotted  with 
dusky  brown  except  on  crissum  and  belly.  Postocular  and  malar 
streaks  and  auriculars  grayish  white.  Lores  and  subocular  streak 
blackish.  A  faintly  indicated  dusky  sub-malar  streak. 

DONACOBIUS  ATRICAPILLUS  ATRiCAPiLLUS   (Linnaeus). 
Turdus  atricapillus  Linn.,   Syst.   Nat:   ed.    12.   I.    1766.  p.  295.      ("Cap 

Bon  Spei"— Berlepsch  &  Hartert  substitute  E.  Brazil.) 
Donacobius  atricapillus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  4. 

Klages  sent  a  specimen  that  he  collected  on  the  Mato  River,  one 
of  the  small  tributaries  of  the  Caura  River,  to  the  Tring  Museum;  and 
Mr.  Beebe  collected  and  noted  this  species  as  abundant  in  the  delta 
at  Guanoco. 

TROGLODYTIDAE— THE  WRENS. 

Five  genera  are  represented  in  the  Orinoco  region  including  six 
species  and  four  subspecies.  All  are  notable  as  songsters  and  char- 
acteristic birds  of  the  regions  that  they  frequent. 

KEY  TO  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  TROGLODYTIDAE. 

a.     Tail  equal  to  or  longer  than  wing Heleodytes. 

b.     Under  parts  white  without  spots  or  markings. 

c.     Upper  parts  greyish  brown  with  scarcely  a  trace  of  umber,  smaller. .  .      H.  griseus. 
c'.    Upper  parts  strongly  raw  umber  brown  or  washed  with  brown  (be- 
tween a  raw  umber  and  mummy),  larger H.  minor. 

b'.   Under  parts  white  with   breast,  sides,  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts 

spotted  with  blackish H.  nuchalis. 

a'.    Tail  shorter  than  wing. 

b.     Chin  and  throat  pale  and  without  dusky  or  blackish  cross  bars. 

c.     Feathers  on  sides  of  neck  mottled  black  and  white,  the  centres  being 

white,  edges  black Leucolepis  musicus. ' 

c1.    Feathers  on  sides  of  neck  not  black  and  white  mottled. 

d.     Nostrils  rounded,  at  forward  end  of  the  nasal  fossa Thryophilus. 

e.  Throat  white,  remainder  of  under  parts  buff,  on  sides, 
flanks  and  under  tail-coverts  becoming  ochraceous.  (On 
the  Caura  River,  the  Cuchivero  River  and  probably  other 
tributaries  of  the  Orinoco,  entering  that  stream  from  the 
Guiana  side) T.  albipectus  albipectus. 

'This  wren  so  far  as  known  is  found  only  in  British  Guiana,  but  it  is  not  improbable  that  it  may 
be  taken  in  the  delta  region  of  the  Orinoco. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OP  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  143 

e'.  Much  paler  below,  the  brownish-olive  color  being  confined 
almost  entirely  to  the  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts;  upper 
surface  also  paler  with  less  rufous.  (Middle  stretches  of 
the  Orinoco  from  the  delta  region — Las  Barrancas — up  as 

far  as  the  first  Falls,  Atures) T.  albipeclus  hypoleucus. 

e".  Entire  upper  parts  much  darker  rufous  brown,  below,  sides, 
flanks  and  crissum  deep  ochraceous,  very  much  richer  in 
color  than  either  of  the  preceding  forms.  (The  Upper 

Orinoco  from  above  the  Falls  of  Atures) T.  albipecttis  bogolensis. 

d'.    Nostrils,  if  rounded,  not  at  forward  end  of  nasal  fossa. 
e.     Nostrils  linear,  opening  along  lower  edge  of  nasal  fossa. 

/.     Throat  white,  breast  grey Pheugopedius  griseipectus 

caurensis. 

f.     Throat  and  breast  buff  y Troglodytes  musculus  clarus. 

e'.    Nostrils  rounded,  near  center  of  nasal  fossa. 
/.     Prominent  white  wing-bands  formed   by   subterminal  white 

tips  to  greater  wing-coverts Microcerculus  caurensis. 

f.    No  wing-bands Henicorhina   leucosticta. 

HELEODYTES  GRISEUS   (Swainson).1 

Fnrnarius  griseus  Swains.,  Anim.  in  Menag.  1838.  p.  325. 
Campylorhynchus  griseus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  4. 

Native  name  Cucarachero.  In  life  the  eye  is  vandyke  brown;  bill 
black  above,  greyish  horn  color  below ;  feet  slate  color. 

Birds  of  this  species  are  usually  seen  (and  heard)  in  pairs,  or, 
after  the  breeding  season,  from  April  to  July,  in  family  parties  of  from 
three  to  eight.  They  are  rarely  seen  in  the  dense  forest,  keeping 
near  the  borders  of  open  savannas  and  localities  abounding  with  scat- 
tering scrub  oaks  and  clumps  of  underbrush. 

The  nesting  habits  of  this  species  are  quite  unusual.  Early  in 
my  acquaintance  with  it  I  had  believed  it  constructed  its  own  nests, 
but  that  the  nests  built  one  year  were  not  employed, — at  least  not  for 
the  rearing  of  a  brood  of  young, — until  the  following  season.  Later 
observations  have  convinced  me,  however,  that  rarely,  if  ever,  does 
this  wren  do  more  in  the  way  of  nest  building  than  to  refurnish  the 
abandoned  nest  of  some  other  bird,  and  that  the  more  dilapidated  the 
structure  is  in  outward  appearance,  the  more  acceptable  it  is  as  a  true 
nesting  site.  The  old  abandoned  nests  of  Pitangus  sulphuratus  are 
the  ones  that  appear  to  be  selected  most  frequently.  Several  of  these 
nests  together  with  nests  of  Myiozetetes  are  frequently  found  in  the 
same  tree,  often  within  three  or  four  feet  of  one  another,  and  if  one  of 
the  Pitangus  nests  is  the  real  nest  of  a  pair  of  wrens  the  owners  may 
be  seen  entering  the  other  old  nests  quite  as  frequently  as  they  do  their 

'Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   4,  have  called  attention  to  the  error  in  the  British  Museum  Catalogue 
regarding  this  species  and  bicolor.  the  .names  having  been  transposed. 


144  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

own.  Not  only  do  they  enter  the  other  nests  but  they  may  be  seen 
industriously  carrying  in  nesting  material.  This  curious  habit,  I  have 
observed,  is  indulged  in  chiefly  when  the  birds  are  being  watched. — 
when  they  feel  their  homes  may  be  in  danger.  While  nesting  mate- 
rials, such  as  .soft  dry  grasses,  may  be  carried  into  any  and  .all  of  the 
old  nests  in  the  tree  where  a  Large  Cactus  Wren  is  nesting,  only  one 
nest  will  receive  a  lining  of  the  soft  down-like  substance  that  envelops 
the  seed  of  the  silk-cotton  tree,  and  there  the  eggs  or  young  will 
be  found.  I  never  ascertained  that  more  than  one  pair  of  birds  nested 
in  a  single  tree,  but  found  from  three  to  eight  nests  in  a  tree  occupied 
by  a  single  pair  of  birds. 

I  first  took  eggs  of  this  species  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  April  10, 
1898.  The  clutch  contained  only  three  eggs  in  which  incubation  was 
far  advanced.  The  nest  was  an  old  one,  doubtless  that  of  Pitangus 
sulphuratus  rufipennis  with  a  fresh  lining.  It  was  a  large  globular 
affair  composed  of  dry  grasses,  set  in  a  tangle  of  small  limbs  of  a 
scrub  oak,  about  3.5  m.  from  the  ground.  The  entrance  was  at  one 
side  near  the  top.  In  the  same  tree  were  six  other  nests,  none  of 
which  were  occupied  and  there  was  apparently  only  the  one  pair  of 
birds  in  the  neighborhood. 

Another  clutch  of  three  eggs  with  incubation  far  advanced  was 
taken  April  I7th.  The  nest  was  about  4.5  m.  up  in  a  scrub  oak,  that 
stood  well  out  in  the  savanna.  It  was  an  old  nest,  globular  in  form, 
ragged  and  dilapidated  in  appearance,  but  it  had  been  supplied  with 
a  little  fresh  lining  of  soft  grasses.  A  new  nest  of  Pitangus  had  been 
built  in  the  same  tree,  not  ten  feet  from  the  old  one,  but  had  been 
deserted  by  the  original  owners  and  the  wrens  had  selected  the  old 
one  in  preference. 

A  clutch  of  five  incubated  eggs  of  this  species  (now  in  the  Tring 
Museum),  was  taken  at  Caicara,  June  27,  1898.  They  were  of  a 
"glossy  brownish  brick-red,  darker  spots  being  traceable."1  Others 
are  "whitish  red,  the  brick-red  patches  leaving  some  of  the  ground 
color  free."1  They  measure  "24.5  x  18.5;  24.5  x  17.4;  24  x  17.5  mm."1 
The  nest  in  this  case  was  as  usual  an  old  one  and  much  dilapidated. 
It  was  situated  about  2.4  m.  up  in  a  small  scrub  oak.  There  was  a 
much  newer  nest  in  the  same  tree  not  over  1.2  m.  from  the  one  con- 
taining the  eggs.  Both  birds  were  present  and  manifested  much 
concern,  scolding  me  soundly.  Before  I  climbed  the  tree  to  search 

'Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  p.  4. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  145 

for  eggs  I  watched  the  parents  for  some  time  and  noted  them  fre- 
quently entering  and  leaving  the  new  nest  but  not  approaching  the 
old  one  in  which  were  the  eggs.  While  I  was  taking  the  clutch  of 
eggs  on  April  i/th  the  parent  birds  remained  close  by  but  seemed  to 
take  little  notice  of  my  presence. 

A  nest  which  together  with  a  set  of  four  eggs  and  the  parent  birds 
was  taken  at  Caicara  May  5th,  1907  (No.  14,655  Geo.  K.  Cherrie 
Coll.)  was  a  nest  of  Pitangus  sulphuratus  rufipennis  that,  having  served 
as  a  home  for  a  brood  of  its  builders'  young,  had  been  abandoned  by 
that  builder  and  appropriated  by  a  Cactus  Wren.  A  new  lining  of 
coarse  dry  grasses  only  had  been  taken  in.  The  nest  was  located  at 
the  extreme  end  of  a  long  horizontal  branch  of  a  Guaramal  tree  and 
was  about  2.4  m.  above  the  ground.  The  parent  birds,  both 
of  which  were  collected,  were  not  at  all  demonstrative.  The  female 
was  shot  as  she  left  the  nest.  The  ground  color  of  the  eggs  varies 
from  a  salmon-buff  to  a  vinaceous-cinnamon.  They  are  everywhere 
thickly  speckled  with  hazel  and  chestnut.  Of  the  four  eggs,  one  was 
on  the  point  of  hatching,  one  about  half  incubated,  one  fresh,  the 
fourth  rotten  and  pierced  with  two  small  holes  on  the  larger  end. 
They  measure  24x17.5;  23x17.5;  23.5  xi775  and  24.5x16.5  mm. 
respectively.  Three  are  ovate  in  form  and  one  decidedly  elongate 
ovate. 

On  the  22nd  of  May,  1907,  near  La  Cascabel  on  the  River  San 
Feliz,  a  nest  was  found  containing  two  half  grown  young  and  one 
rotten  egg.  The  nest  was  undoubtedly  one  that  had  been  built  by  a 
Pitangus.  It  was  about  4.5  m.  from  the  ground.  The  egg  is  ovate 
in  form  and  measures  25  x  18  mm.  In  color  the  ground  is  nearly  a 
salmon-tuff  and  is  thickly  speckled  with  vinaceous-cinnamon.  Mr. 
Hartert  in  describing  the  eggs  sent  by  the  writer  to  the  Tring 
Museum  refers  to  them  as  "glossy,"  but  that  term  would  hardly  be 
applicable  to  the  examples  that  are  before  me. 

HELEODYTES  MINOR  Cabanis.1 

Heleodytcs  minor  Cab.,  Mus-.  Hein.  I.  1851.  p.  80. 

This  species  was  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  by  Klages,  and  the 


'In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  a  series  of  specimens  from  the  Santa  Marta  region,  Colombia, 
identified  by  Allen  as  H.  griseus  (Swains) — Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist..  XIII.  1900.  p.  180— that  seem  to 
belong  to  this  species,  but  doubtless  represent  a  different  race  that  differs  from  the  Venezuelan  birds  by  the 
almost  total  lack  of  barring  to  the  tail-feathers  (being  faintly  indicated  in  three  or  four  only),  and  in  the 
greater  extent  and  deeper  shade  of  chestnut  red  on  the  back,  rump,  and  wing-quill  edges. 


146  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

writer  secured  a  single  example  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar  on 
the  1907  expedition.  There  is  also  in  the  American  Museum  collection  a 
small  series  of  specimens  collected  by  Klages  from  Maripa,  in  the  Caura 
River  region. 

HELEODYTES  NUCHALIS  (Cabanis). 

Campylorhynchus   nvchalis   Cab.,    Orn.    Not.    in   Arch.    Naturg.    XIII. 

1847.  p.  206;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  5. 

An  abundant  species  along  the  middle  Orinoco.  Specimens 
were  collected  at  Altagracia,  Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara.  It 
frequents  similar  localities  to  those  where  H.  griseus  is  found  and  may 
be  usually  seen  in  pairs  or  family  parties. 

In  fresh  specimens  the  colors  are :  eye  straw  yellow ;  feet  slate 
grey ;  bill  above  dusky,  below  pale  flesh  color. 

The  nesting  habits  of  this  species  are  somewhat  similar  to  those 
of  H.  griseus,  and  equally  interesting.'  A  nest  containing  four  fresh 
eggs  was  found  at  Caicara,  May  12,  1907  (No.  14,737  Cherrie  Coll.). 
It  was  one  of  half  a  dozen  irregular  shapeless  masses  of  fine  soft  root- 
lets, grasses,  feathers  and  tufts  of  the  soft  silky  down  from  fruits  of  the 
silk-cotton  (balsamo)  tree.  Each  of  the  nests,  apparently  masses  of  rub- 
bish, was  provided  with  two  or  three  entrances  to  as  many  chambers,  or 
instead  of  opening  into  separate  chambers  they  were  in  some  cases 
entrances  to  tunnels  through  the  nest  mass !  Only  one  of  the  several 
nest  masses,  however,  was  in  use  as  a  nest  proper.  That  contained 
four  fresh  eggs.  To  the  nest  cavity  proper  there  was  only  one  en- 
trance, but  in  addition  there  were  in  the  same  nest  mass  two  tunnels 
running  from  side  to  side.  At  the  time  when  the  eggs  were  secured 
both  parent  birds  were  present  and  showed  the  greatest  excitement. 
Their  actions  were  most  extraordinary,  and  in-stead  of  employing 
their  time  with  cries  of  distress,  or  scolding  the  intruder,  they  im- 
mediately went  to  work,  industriously  carrying  mouthfuls  of  soft 
feathers  and  balsamo  from  one  nest  mass  to  another,  but  not  going 
near  the  real  nest.  However,  when  they  realized  that  the  enemy 
could  not  be  deceived  by  their  artifice,  they  turned  their  attention  to 
the  nest  mass  containing  the  eggs,  and  worked  with  such  a  will,  and 
with  such  good  effect,  packing  the  entrance  with  balsamo  and  soft 
feathers,  even  while  I  was  engaged  in  cutting  the  branch  that  supporte'd 
the  nest,  that  by  the  time'  the  nest  was  on  the  ground  no  entrance  was 
visible.  For  a  moment  I  was  inclined  to  believe  I  had  made  a  mistake. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  147 

I  believe  the  nests  of  this  wren,  like  those  of  H.  griseus  always 
have  as  a  foundation  the  abandoned,  and  frequently  half-decayed  nests 
of  either  Pitangus  or  some  species  of  Mylosetetes. 

The  eggs  are  elongated-ovate  in  shape  and  a  delicate  pure  white  in 
color. 

HENICORHINA  LEUCOSTICTA    (Cabanis). 
Cyphorhinus  leucostictus  Cab.,  Orn.  Not.  in  Arch.  Naturg.  XIII.  1847. 

p.  206. 
Henicorhina  leucosticta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  5. 

Andre  collected  specimens  of  this  wren  on  the  Caura  River. 

MICROCERCULUS  CAURENSIS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Microcerculus  caurensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  5. 
A  single  specimen  of  this  wren,   said  by   its   describers   to   be 
''closely  allied  to  M.  bambla  from  Guiana"  was  collected  by  Andre  at 
Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 

THRYOPHILUS  ALBIPECTUS  ALBIPECTUS  Cabanis. 

Thryophilus  albipectus  Cab.  in  Schomb.  Reise  Brit.  Guiana,  III.  1848. 

p.  673  (Cayenne)  ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  6  (Suapure,  La  Pricion, 

La  Union  and  Nicare,  Caura  River). 

In  the  Brooklyn  Museum  collection  and  that  of  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  the  writer  has  had  for  study  Venezu- 
elan specimens  from  localities  in  the  Orinoco  region  as  follows : — On 
the  Orinoco  proper;  Nericagua,  Munduapo,  Caicara,  Ciudad  Bolivar, 
Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Las  Barrancas;  La  Cascabel  (on 
the  River  San  Feliz  near  its  junction  with  the  River  Cuchivero) ; 
Mato  River  (near  its  junction  with  the  Caura  River)  ;  Maripa  and 
La  Union  on  the  Caura  River.  Typical  examples  of  three  forms  are 
represented,  together  with  specimens  that  are  intermediate  in  char- 
acter. 

Specimens  collected  by  the  writer  at  "La  Cascabel"  compared 
with  an  example  of  typical  albipectus  from  Cayenne  (No.  668  Cherrie 
and  Gault  Coll.)  in  the  American  Museum  collection,  agree  almost 
exactly  in  color  both  above  and  below,  but  lack  the  faint  traces 
of  dusky  bars  on  the  back  that  are  to  be  seen  in  that  specimen.  The 
American  Museum  series  from  Maripa  and  a  single  example  among 
those  labeled  "La  Union"  (Klages  Coll.)  are  referable  to  this  form. 
Typical  examples  have  been  also  recorded  from  Saupure,  La  Pricion, 


148  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

La  Union  and  Nicare  on  the  Caura  River.  The  Brooklyn  Museum 
specimens  from  Las  Barrancas  (Orinoco  Delta  region)  are  referred 
to  this  form  but  are  somewhat  intermediate  in  character  between 
albipectus  albipectus  and  albipectus  hypoleucus. 

THRYOPHILUS  ALBIPECTUS  HYPOLEUCUS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Thryophilus  albipectus  hypoleucus  Berlp.  &  Hart.,  Bull.  B.  O.  C.  XII. 

1901.  p.  12;  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  6. 

This,  the  lightest  colored  form  of  the  white-breasted  wren,  is 
found  everywhere  along  the  Orinoco  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  up  as  far 
as,  possibly  beyond,  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  River.  It,  in  common 
with  the  other  races  of  this  species,  frequents  the  denser  clumps  of 
trees  and  bushes  that  dot  the  edges  of  savanna  regions. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  mummy  brown;  bill  blackish  above,  slate 
color  below ;  feet  plumbeous. 

Specimens  were  collected  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar, 
Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara.  The 
specimens  collected  by  the  writer  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar 
and  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  are  somewhat  intermediate  in  character,  form- 
ing with  the  Las  Barrancas  specimens  of  albipectus  albipectus  links  in 
the  evidence  -pointing  to  the  common  origin  of  the  two  forms. 

THRYOPHILUS  ALBIPECTUS  BOGOTENSIS  Hellmayr. 

Thryophilus    albipectus    bogotensis    Hellmayr,    Verhandl.    Zool.-Botan. 

Gesellsch.  Wien,  LI.  1901.  p.  774.     (Type  in  Berlepsch  Museum, 

Bogota  Coll.). 
Thryophilus  albipectus  subsp.  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  6. 

This  dark  race  was  observed  and  collected  by  the  writer  on  the 
Upper  Orinoco  at  Perico,  Maipures,  Munduapo  and  Nericagua.  In 
the  American  Museum  collection  there  are  specimens  from  La  Union 
•(on  the  Caura  River)  and  from  the  Mato  River  collected  by  S.  M. 
Klages,  and  two  examples  from  Surinam  (Chunkoo  Coll.)  that,  by 
comparison  with  specimens  collected  by  the  writer  at  Maipures  and 
Nericagua  on  the  Upper  Orinoco,  seem  to  be  typical  of  this  race. 

In  a  female  from  Nericagua  there  are  faint  traces  of  narrow  dusky 
bars  on  the  back.  In  the  female  from  Surinam  such  bars  are  quite 
evident  and  they  are  indicated  in  both  a  male  and  female  example 
from  La  Union. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  149 

PHEUGOPEDIUS  GRISEIPECTUS  CAURENSIS  (Berlepsch  &  Hartert). 

Thryothorus  griseipectus  caurensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,   Novit.  Zool. 

IX.  1902.  p.  7. 

Described  from  specimens  secured  on  the  Caura  River  by  Mr. 
Eugene  Andre.  It  has  been  recorded  from  La  Union,  La  Pricion  and 
Nicare  (type  locality). 

TROGLODYTES  MUSCULUS  CLARUS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Troglodytes   musculus   clarus    Berlepsch   &    Hartert,    Novit.    Zool.    IX. 

1902,  p.  8.     (Type,  Bartica  Grove,  British  Guiana.) 

Common  throughout  the  Orinoco  region  at  least  as  far  as  the 
Falls  of  Atures. 

Specimens  were  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara 
and  Quiribana  de  Caicara. 

In  life  the  eye  is  seal  brown;  bill  above  blackish,  below  pale  grey; 
feet  dusky  slate  grey. 

A  set  of  four  slightly  incubated  eggs,  together  with  the  parent 
birds,  were  taken  at  Caicara,  July  10,  1906  (15,078  Cherrie  Coll.). 
The  eggs  are  short  ovate  in  form  and  measure  17.5x14;  16.9x13.5; 
17x13.75  and  17.5x13.6  mm.  They  are  thickly  dotted  over  the 
entire  surface  with  brown  varying  in  shade  on  the  different  examples 
from  vinaceous  to  chestnut.  In  two  of  the  eggs  the  specks  and  dots 
are  more  thickly  clustered  about  the  larger  end,  forming  a  cap.  The 
ground  color  is  a  pale  buffy  pink.  The  nest  was  located  in  a  natural 
cavity  in  the  trunk  of  a  Chaparo  oak  about  2.1  m.  from  the  ground. 
Very  little  nesting  material  had  been  taken  into  the  nest  cavity,  and 
consisted  of  a  few  black  hair-like  vegetable  fibres  on  top  of  which  was 
a  lining  of  the  wing  and  tail  feathers  of  small  birds  so  arranged  that 
the  quills  stuck  outward  and  upward  around  the  edge  of  the  nest,  and 
the  soft  tips  rested  on  the  bottom.  Here  and  there  between  the 
feathers  were  bits  of  the  cast  skin  of  some  small  lizard. 

The  parent  birds  were  shy  and  wary.  The  female  when  flushed 
would  fly  directly  to  a  thicket  some  twenty-five  yards  distant  where 
she  would  remain  quietly  in  hiding  until  she  believed  all  danger  to 
have  passed. 

SYLVIIDAE— THE  KINGLETS  AND  GNATCATCHERS. 
Only  a  single  species  pertaining  to  this  family  was  observed  on 
the  Orinoco. 


150  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Mr.  Hellmayr,  who  has  made  a  careful  study  of  the  South  Ameri- 
can members  of  the  genus  Polioptila,  has,  in  his  last  word  on  the 
subject1,  concluded  that  there  are  six  recognizable  races  of  P.  livida. 

Only  one  of  this  number  has  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco 
region  but  as  there  are  two  others  whose  geographical  distribution 
when  better  known  may  be  found  to  extend  to  the  territory  under 
consideration,  I  have  included  them  in  the  following  key. 

KEY  TO  SUBSPECIES  OF  POLIOPTILA  LIVIDA. 

a.     Outer  tail-feathers  black  at  base  of  both  inner  and  outer  webs Polioptila  livida  plumbiceps. 

a'.   Outer  tail-feathers  entirely  white. 

b.  Upper  wing-coverts  edged  with  whitish  and  broad  white  edgings  of  the 
tertials  reaching  almost  to  the  shaft.  (Cayenne,  Surinam,  Lower  Ama- 
zonia from  Para  to  Santarem) Polioptila  livida  livida. 

b'.    Upper  wing-coverts  edged  with  pale  bluish  grey  and  white  edges  to 

tertials  much  narrower.     (British  Guiana,  Rio  Branco  in  North  Brazil)     Polioptila  livida  innotata. 

POLIOPTILA  LIVIDA  PLUMBICEPS  (Lawrence). 
Polioptila  plumbiceps  Lawrence,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sc.  Phila.  XVII.  1865. 

p.  37  (Venezuela). 

Polioptila  nigriceps  Berlepsch  &  Hartert  (non  Baird)  p.  9. 
P[olioptila]  livida  plumbiceps  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV,  1907.  p.  4. 

This  species  is  common  along  the  Middle  Orinoco  from  Ciudad 
Bolivar  to  the  Falls  of  Atures,  and  less  abundant  above  the  falls 
where  specimens  were  collected  at  Maipures. 

A  nest  of  this  species,  which  the  young  were  just  leaving,  was 
found  at  Caicara  June  20,  1907.  It  closely  resembled  nests  of  the 
Blue-grey  Gnatcatcher  of  Eastern  North  America,  being  a  neat,  trim, 
lichen-covered  cup,  saddled  on  to  a  horizontal  branch.  The  nest 
measures  outside :  depth  45,  diameter  at  middle  of  nest,  55  ;  inside :  depth 
31 ;  diameter  at  rim  35;  diameter  half  way  down  41  mm.  It  was  about 
5  m.  from  the  ground  on  one  of  the  branches  of  a  Chaparo  oak 
that  stood  near  the  edge  of  the  open  savanna.  It  is  by  merest  chance 
that  such  a  nest  is  discovered  as  it  is  so  small,  so  inconspicuous  and 
its  lichen  covered  walls  match  so  exactly  the  color  of  the  branch  on 
which  it  rests.2 

Wovitates  Zoologicae  XIV.  1907.  pp.  4-5. 

2It  seems  somewhat  doubtful  to  the  writer  if  the  nest  described  as  that  of  Lawrence's  Gnatcatchei 
by  Clark  (Auk  XIX.  1902.  p.  266.)  from  Margarita  Island  could  have  belonged  to  that  species.  Gnat- 
catcher  nests  certainly  do  not  resemble  those  of  the  yellow  Warbler. 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  15! 

MNIOTILTIDAE— THE  WARBLERS. 

The  author  has  collected  seven  species  of  Warblers  on  the  Ori- 
noco, four  of  which  number  were  North  American  migrants.  One 
other  species  (Basileuterus  mesoleucus)  was  included  in  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert's  paper  and  was  collected  by  Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura 
River.  Now  I  am  able  to  add  Basileuterus  auricapillus  olivascens  based 
on  a  specimen  collected  by  Mr.  C.  William  Beebe  at  Guanoco  in  the 
delta  region  and  Oporornis  agilis  collected  by  L.  E.  Miller  at  Maipures. 

In  the  following  key  I  have  included  some  other  species  and  sub- 
species that  are  recorded  from  various  points  in  British  Guiana  that 
not  improbably  may  be  later  found  to  enter  the  Orinoco  valley. 

KEY  TO  THE  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  MNIOTILTIDAE. 

a.     Having  a  distinct  superciliary  stripe  and  breast  not  red. 

b.     Breast  and  sides  streaked  with  dusky  or  blackish Seiurus  noveboracensis. 

b'.    No  streaks  on  breast  and  sides. 

c.     Throat,  breast  and  belly  white Basileulerus  mesoleucus. 

c'.    Throat,  breast  and  belly  yellow Basileuterus  auricapillus 

olivascens. 
a'.    No  distinct  superciliary  stripe;   or,  if  present,  then  centre  of  breast  and 

belly  vermilion  (geranium  red). 
b.     Throat  white,  whitish  grey  or  black,  and  sides  and  breast  not  streaked. 

c.     Centre  of  breast  and  belly  red,  sides  and  flanks  grey Granatellus  pelzelni. 

<^.    Centre  of  breast  and  belly  not  red. 

d.    Centre  of  breast  and  belly  white  or  whitish,  sides  of  breast  yellow- 
ish or  reddish  pink ; Setophaga  ruticilla. 

d'.    Belly  yellow,  throat  and  upper  breast  slate  grey  or  pale  grayish 

brown Oporornis  agilis. 

b'.    Throat  yellow,  or,  sides  and  flanks  streaked  with  blackish. 

c.     Under  tail-coverts  of  the  same  general  color  as  other  under  parts. 
d.     Inner  webs  of  outer  tail-feathers  marked  with  yellow  or  white. 

e.     Under  parts  white  with  dusky  or  blackish  streaks  on  sides Dendroica  striata. 

e'.    Under  parts  yellow,  wither  without  russet  or  brownish  streaks.     Dendroica  aestiva. 

d'.    No  markings  on  inner  webs  of  outer  tail-feathers Geothlypis  aequinoclialis. 

c'.    Under  tail-coverts  white  in  sharp  contrast  to  the  yellow  breast. 

d.     Above  slate  grey  with  olive  green  triangular  patch  in  centre  of 

back Compsothlypis  piliayumi 

elegans. 
d'.    Above,  head  yellow  shading  into  olive  green  on  back,  rump  slate 

grey Protonolaria  citrea. l 

COMPSOTHLYPIS  PITIAYUMI  ELEGANS  Todd. 

Sylvia  pitiayumi  Vieillot,  Nouv.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  XL  1817.  p.  276. 
Parula  pitiayumi   Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  10. 

C[ompsothlypis]  p[itiayumi]  pitiayumi  Ridgw.  Auk.  XIX.  1902.  p.  69  in 
text. 


'Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  VI:    1804:   24,  included  the Prothonotary  Warbler  in  his  list  of  the  birds  of 
Trinidad.     Future  collecting  may  discover  it  in  the  delta  region  of  the  Orinoco. 


152  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Compsothlypis  pitiayumi  elegans  Todd  Ann.  Carnegie  Mus.  VIII.  1912, 
p.  204  (Type  $  ,  Anzoategui,  Lara.  Venez.,  in  Carnegie  Museum). 

At  Altagracia,  midway  between  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Caicara,  this 
little  warbler  was  not  uncommon  during  January  and  February,  1897, 
and  on  the  1907  expedition  I  found  it  common  at  Agua  Salada  de 
Ciudad  Bolivar  during  April  and  at  Caicara  during  May. 

GRANATELLUS  PELZELNI  PELZELNI  Sclater1 

Granatellus  pelzelni  Sclater,  P.  Z.  S.  1864.  p.  607;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  10. 
G[ranatellus]  p[elzelni]  pelzelni  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p. 

355- 

A  single  specimen  of  this  handsome  warbler,  an  adult  female, 
was  captured  in  the  thick  forest  at  Munduapo  (above  the  second 
falls)  in  February,  1899.  Klages  collected  it  at  La  Pricion,  Andre 
at  Nicare  and  La  Union  on  the  Caura,  and  the  writer  secured 
a  single  specimen  at  La  Cascabel,  May  26,  1907.  In  the  La  Cascabel 
specimen  the  eye  was  dark ;  bill  black  above,  slate  grey  below ;  feet  slate 
grey.  It  is  a  male  not  yet  in  full  plumage,  having  the  entire 
top  of  the  head  slate  blue  like  the  back  but  with  the  feathers  black 
basally ;  the  feathers  on  the  forehead  are  tipped  with  ochraceous ; 
lores,  cheeks  and  streak  above  eye  and  ear  coverts  ochraceous  buff 
flecked  with  blackish  on  lores  and  sides  of  face ;  auriculars  slate  blue 
with  some  buffy  shaft  streaks. 

GEOTHLYPIS  AEQUINOCTIALIS  (Gmelin). 

Motacilla  aequinoctialis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.   1789.  p.  972   ("Cayenna"). 
Geothlypis  aequinoctialis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  n. 

Many  taken  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  and  at  Altagracia  in  i897-'98. 
At  the  former  place  it  was  common  in  the  tall  grass  and  sedges, 
growing  along  the  low  marshy  banks  of  Quiribana  Creek,  some  six 
or  seven  miles  back  from  the  Orinoco,  on  the  open  savanna.  When 
flushed  these  birds  would  flutter  just  above  the  tops  of  the  grasses  for 
twenty  or  thirty  yards  and  then  drop  out  of  sight.  The  action  was 
what  one  would  look  for  in  a  rail  and  very  unwarbler-like. 

'In  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  X.  1885.  p.  369,  under  the  "key  to  species,"  Mr.  Sharpe  erroneously  places 
O.  pelzelni  m  a  section  "having  a  black  pectoral  collar, "  but  there  is  no  pectoral  collar  in  specimens  I  have 
seen  and  the  white  throat  is  followed  immediately  by  the  red  breast. 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  153 

At  La  Casabel  and  Las  Guacas  in  1907  this  species  was  found 
common  in  the  tall  grasses  bordering  the  marshes. 

OPORORNIS  AGILIS  (Wilson). 
Sylvia  agilis  Wilson,  Am.  Orn.,  1812,  p.  64  (Connecticut). 

There  is  in  the  American  Museum  collection  a  specimen  collected 
by  Miller  and  Iglseder  at  Maipures.  I  believe  this  to  be  the  first  record 
of  the  species  in  the  Orinoco  valley. 

BASILEUTERUS  MESOLEUCUS  Sclater. 

Basileuterus  mesoleucus  Scl.,  P.  Z.  S.  1865.  p.  286;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  n. 

Klages  sent  examples  of  this  species  to  the  Tring  Museum  that 
he  obtained  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

BASILEUTERUS  AURICAPILLUS  OLIVASCENS  Chapman. 

Basileuterus    vermivorus    olivascens    Chapm.,    Auk.    X.    1893,    P-    343 
(Trinidad). 

This  is  an  abundant  species  in  Trinidad  and  Mr.  C.  William 
Beebe  secured  a  good  example,  in  April,  at  Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco 
Delta  region  which  agrees  exactly  with  the  Brooklyn  .Museum  series 
from  Trinidad. 

SETOPHAGA  RUTICILLA  (Linnaeus). 

Motacilla  Ruticilla  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  X.  1758.  p.  186. 
Setophaga  ruticilla  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   n. 

Not  uncommon  about  Ouiribana  de  Caicara  during  April,  1898,  but 
observed  only  during  the  first  week  in  May  on  the  two  recent  expedi- 
tions. 

DENDROICA  AESTIVA  AESTIVA  (Gmelin). 
Motacilla  aestiva  Gm.  Syst»  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  996. 
Dendroica  aestiva  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  9. 

The  Yellow  Warbler  was  noted  from  November  3rd  to  May  3rd 
and  was  not  uncommon. 

DENDROICA  STRIATA   (Forster). 

Muscicapa  striata  Forster,  Phil.  Trans.  LXXII.  1772.  p.  406. 
Dendroica  striata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  9. 


154  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Only  four  species  of  North  American  warblers  are  found  in  the 
valley  of  the  Orinoco,  the  Black-poll,  Yellow  Warbler,  Redstart,  and 
the  "Water-Thrush."  The  Yellow  Warbler  and  Black-poll  are  not 
uncommon  from  October  to  early  May.  The  "Water-Thrush"  is  found 
during  the  same  months  but  is  much  less  common.  Redstarts  I  only 
observed  during  April  and  the  first  week  in  May. 

SEIURUS  NOVEBORACENSIS  NOVEBORACENSIS   (Gmelin). 
Motacilla  noveboracensis  Gm.  Syst.  Nat.  1788.  p.  958.  - 
Seiurus  noveboracensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  10. 

Not  uncommon.  The  sight  of  a  "Water-Thrush"  daintily  bowing 
from  left  to  right  as  he  wandered  along  the  shore  of  some  stream  or 
pond  was  as  cheering  as  seeing  the  face  of  an  old  friend  from  home. 

VIREONIDAE— THE  VIREOS,  PACHYSYLVIAS  AND  PEPPER- 
SHRIKES. 

Some  eight  or  nine  members  of  this  family  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Orinoco  Region,  but  of  this  number  the  writer  has  collected  only  four. 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert  in  their  paper  include  seven  species  of  which 
they  had  specimens.  I  am  now  able  to  add  Pachysylvia  aurantiifrons 
saturata  of  the  northern  coast  of  Venezuela  and  Trinidad,  based  on 
specimens  from  the  delta  while  P.  brunneiceps,  P.  hypoxantha,  P. 
semicinerea  Vireosylva  calidris  calidris  and  Vireosylva  olivacea  enter 
the  region  from  the  upper  Orinoco. 

KEY  TO  THE  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  VIREONIDAE. 

a.     Outermost  primary  (tenth)  obsolete,  and  wing  rather  long  and  pointed. 

b.     With  a  dusky  or  blackish  submalar  streak 1  'ireosylva  calidris  calidris. 

b'.    Without  dusky  or  blackish  submalar  streak. 

c.     Sides  and  flanks  strongly  washed  with  olive  yellow,  under  tail-coverts 

sulphur  yellow,  wing  less  than  75 Vireosylva  chivi  agilis. 

c'.    Sides  and  flanks  only  faintly  washed  with. olive  yellow,  under  tail- 
coverts  pale  yellowish  or  white,  wing  more  than  75 Vireosylva  olivacea. 

a'.    Outermost  primary  (tenth)  about  half  as  long  as  the  ninth,  and  wing  short 

and  rounded. 
b.     Bill  slender  and  but  slightly  decurved  terminally;  wing  less  than  65 

mm.  long. 
c.     A  distinct  olive  yellow  jugular  band Pachysylvia  thoracicus  grise- 

c'.    Without  olive  yellow  jugular  band. 

d.     General  color  of  under  parts  yellow Pachysylvia       auranliifrons 

d'.    General  color  below  not  yellow. 

e.     Forehead,  crown  and  tail  strongly  rufous Pachysylria  ferrugineifrons. 

«'.    No  rufous  on  tail. 

/.     General  color  of  under  parts  buffy  brownish Pachysylvia   flavipes    acuti- 

cauda. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  155 

/'.    Under  parts  not  buffy  brownish. 

g.     Crown  and  nape  grey  in  sharp  contrast  with  olive  green 

back Pachysylvia        muscicapina 

muscicapina. 

g'.    Crown  and  nape  not  grey  in  sharp  contrast  withcolorof  back.     . 
h.     Under  tail-coverts  greyish  white,  uniform  with  centre  of 

abdomen Pachysylvia  thoracicus  semi- 

cinerea. 
h'.    Under  tail-coverts  pale  yellow  in  contrast  with  greyish 

white  of  centre  of  abdomen Pachysylvia  brunneiceps. 

b'.    Bill  stout  and  strongly  decurved  terminally;  wing  more  than  70  mm. 

in  length. 
c.     Throat  and  fore  neck  orange-yellow,  rest  of  under  parts  washed  with 

green Vireolanius  leucotis  chloro- 

gaster. 
c'.    Throat  and  breast  lemon  or  greenish  yellow,  rest  of  under  parts  white 

or  pale  buffy  white Cyclorhis    gujanensis   flati* 

pectus. 

VIREOSYLVA  CALIDRIS  CALiDRis  (Linnaeus). 

[Motacilla]    calidris  Linnaeus,    Syst.    Nat.,   ed.    10,    1758,    p.    184    (Ja- 
maica). 
In    the   American    Museum    collection    is    a    specimen    collected    at 

Boca  de  Sina,  Rio  Cunucunuma,  Upper  Orinoco,  by  Miller  and  Iglseder. 
This  species  has  not  previously  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco. 

VIREOSYLVA  CHIVI  AGILIS  (Lichtenstein). 

Sylvia  chivi  Vieill.  Nov.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  XL  1817.  p.  174. 
Lanius  agilis  Lichtenstein,  Verz.  Doubl.  1823.  p.  526. 
Vireo  chivi  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  13. 

Common.  A  nest  containing  young  was  found  June  8th,  and  on 
June  24  many  young  were  seen.  The  nest  is  much  like  that  of  the 
common  V.  olivacea  of  Eastern  North  America,  suspended  between  the 
slender  twigs  of  a  small  branch,  about  2.5  m.  from  the  ground,  and 
measures :  outside  depth  4.5  cm.  inside  depth  3.5  cm.  ^  outside  diameter 
about  5.5  cm.,  inside  diameter  about  4.5  cm.  at  the  rim,  which  is  slightly 
contracted.  The  general  outlines  of  the  nest  are  somewhat  irregular,  as 
it  conforms  more  or  less  to  the  triangular  supports  from  which  it  is 
suspended.  The  nest  walls  are  frail  and  composed  of  soft  dry  grasses 
over  which  there  is  a  veneer  of  half  decayed  leaves  held  in  place  by 
spider  webs;  there  is  no  inner  lining. 

In  my  series  from  the  Orinoco  there  are  quite  as  many  birds  of 
this  species  having  the  bill  blackish  as  there  are  those  that  have  the 
bill  brownish  horn-color,  and  there  is  no  appreciable  difference  in  size 
between  them  and  birds  from  the  island  of  Trinidad.1 


'This  is  entirely  at  variance  with  Mr,  Hellmayr's  conclusions,  based  on  the  series  in  the  Tring  Museum. 
Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  ii. 


156  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

VIREOSYLVA  OLIVACEA  (Linnaeus). 
[Muscicapa]  olivacea  Linnaeus  Syst.  Nat.,  ed.  12,  1766,  p.  327. 

This  species  has  not  been  observed  by  the  writer,  but  Miller  and 
Iglseder  sent  to  the  American  Museum  two  examples  from  Boca  de 
Sina,  Rio  Cunucunuma,  Upper  Orinoco. 

PACHYSYLVIA  THORACICA  GRISEIVENTRIS  (Berlepsch  &  Hartert). 
H\'lophilus  thoracicus  griseiventris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert.   Novit.   Zool. 

XL  1902.  p.  ii. 

Klages  collected  the  type  (male)  and  a  female  at  Suapure  on  the 
Caura  River  in  November,  1899.  They  were  sent  to  the  Tring 
Museum,  as  was  also  a  male  specimen  collected  by  Andre  at  La 
Pricion  on  the  Caura.  The  writer  did  not  find  this  species  on  the 
Orinoco  proper. 

PACHYSYLVIA  AURANTIIFRONS  SATURATA  Hellmayr. 

Pachysylvia  aurantiifrons  saturata  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.   1906. 

p.  12  (Type,  San  Antonio,  Cumana,  Venezuela). 

Mr.  C.  W.  Beebe  collected  specimens  of  this  Pachysylvia  at  Guanoco 
which  agree  exactly  with  Trinidad  skins. 

PACHYSYLVIA  FERRUGINEIFRONS  (Sclater). 

Hylophilus  ferrugineifrons  Sclater,  P.  Z.  S.  1862.  p.  no;  Berlepsch  & 
Hartert,  p.  12. 

In  the  heavily  wooded  regions  above  the  falls  of  the  Orinoco  this 
species  replaces  the  abundant  P.  Havipes  acuticauda  of  the  middle  and 
lower  stretches  of  the  river.  Except  during  the  nesting  season  it 
associates  in  small  flocks  or  family  parties  which  frequently  join  the 
mixed  companies  of  birds  that  are  so  characteristic  of  tropical  forests. 
This  species  was  also  collected  on  the  Caura  River  at  Suapure 
(Klages)  and  Nicare  and  La  Pricion  (Andre).- 

PACHYSYLVIA  FLAVIPES  ACUTICAUDA   (Lawrence). 
Hylophilus  acuticauda  Lawr.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  XVII.  1865. 

P-  37- 
Hylophilus  Havipes  acuticauda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  12. 

Common  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Caicara. 

All  specimens  procured  indicated  that  the  species  was  brooding 
in  May  and  June,  but  I  did  not  succeed  in  finding  either  nest  or  eggs. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF1  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  157 

In  life  the  eye  is  drab  grey:  bill  dusky  above,  pale  below;  feet  pale 
flesh  color. 

PACHYSYI,VIA  MUSCICAPINA  MUSCICAPINA  (Sclater  &  Salvin). 

Hylophilus  muscicapinus  Sclater  &  Salvin,  Nomencl.  Av.  Neotr.   1873. 

p.  156;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  12. 

This  is  another  species  taken  on  the  Caura  River  by  both  Andre 
and  Klages  but  one  that  I  did  not  see  on  the  Orinoco  proper.  Miller  and 
Iglseder  have  recently  taken  examples  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Duida. 

PACHYSYLVIA  THORACICUS  SEMICINEREA  (Sclater  &  Salvin). 
Hylophilus  semicinereus  Sclater  &  Salvin,  P.  Z.  S.  1867,  p.  570  (Para). 

In  the  Miller  and  Igleseder  collection  made  near  the  foot  of  Mount 
Duida,  Upper  Orinoco  (Am.  Mus.  collection),  is  a  single  specimen  that 
probably  pertains  to  this  race. 

This  specimen,  an  apparently  adult  female,  taken  Mch.  3ist,  is 
dark  citron  green  above,  the  feathers  of  the  crown  and  nape  showing 
much  slate  grey  basally  and  centrally  (the  feathers  of  the  nape  and 
crown  might  be  said  to  be  slate  grey  heavily  bordered  with  the  color 
of  the  back)  :  ear-coverts  pale  brownish  drab.  Below  grey,  dark 
neutral  grey  on  throat  and  upper  breast,  pale  neutral  grey  on  sides  and 
flanks,  centre  of  breast,  abdomen  and  under  tail-coverts  very  pale  grey ; 
sides  of  neck,  throat  and  breast  washed  lightly  with  color  of  back 
throat  and  upper  breast  faintly  washed  with  buffy.  Axillaries,  under 
wing-coverts  and  narrow  inner  edges  of  wing-quills  lemon  yellow.  Wing 
56  mm.,  tail  45  mm. 

There  is  no  indication  of  the  olive  green  jugular  band  of  P.  m. 
muscicapina. 

PACHYSYLVIA  BRUNNEICEPS  (Sclater). 
Hylophilus  brunneiceps    Scl.    P.    Z.    S.    1866:    p.    322    (Barcellos,    Rio 

Negro) . 

The  American  Museum  collection  also  contains  an  example  of  this 
rare  vireo  from  San  Fernando  de  Atabapo,  Upper  Orinoco,  collected 
by  Miller  and  Igleseder. 

VIREOLANIUS  LEUCOTIS  CHLOROGASTER  Bonaparte. 
Vireolanius  chlorogaster  Bonap.,  Compt.  Rendus,  XXXVIII.    1854.  p. 

381. 
Vireolanius  leucotis  chlorogaster  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  13. 


158  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

A  single  specimen  collected  by  Mr.  Klages  at  Suapure  on  the 
Caura  River  (/.  c.}  was  sent  to  the  Trine:  Museum. 

CYCLARHIS  GUJANENSIS  FLAVIPECTUS  Sclater. 
Cyclarhis  ftavipectus  Scl.,  P.  Z.  S.  1858.  p.  448  (Trinidad);  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  13. 

Common.  In  life  the  eye  is  tawny  ochraceous ;  bill  drab  above, 
plumbeous  grey  below ;  feet  vinaceous  buff. 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  I  found  this  species 
breeding  at  the  end  of  August.  In  1907  I  found  a  nest  at  La  Cas- 
cabel  (near  the  mouth  of  the  San  Feliz  on  the  Cuchivero  River)  on 
the  23rd  day  of  May.  The  nest  was  situated  in  a  Chaparo  oak  that 
stood  near  the  edge  of  an  extensive  open  savanna.  It  was  placed  at 
the  extreme  tip  of  a  long  horizontal  limb,  about  4.5  m.  from  the 
ground,  suspended  between  forked  twigs.  For  a  pendant  nest  it  was 
unusually  shallow;  the  walls  thin,  and  it  might  be  described 
almost  as  a  net  woven  between  the  forks  and  sagging  in  the  centre. 
Outwardly  it  was  composed  entirely  of  soft  grasses,  and  there  was  an 
inner  lining  of  a  very  few  hair-like  vegetable  fibres.  The  attachment 
to  the  supporting  twigs  was  slight  and  frail-looking.  The  nest  walls 
were  so  thin  and  the  meshes  so  open,  that  the  eggs  were  visible  when 
looking  from  the  ground  through  the  bottom  of  the  nest.  The  nest 
cavity  is  oval  in  form  and  measures  inside  7.2  by  6  cm.,  depth  1.6  cm.1 
The  eggs,  three  in  number,  were  fresh.  They  are  ovate  in  form;  white, 
faintly  washed  with  buffy  pink  and  marked  with  blotches,  spots  and  tiny 
dots,  varying  in  color  from  hazel  brown  to  dark  chestnut.  The  eggs 
measure  22  x  16.5 ;  23  x  16.5  and  22.75  x  J6.5  mm.  respectively.  The 
male  was  shot  as  he  left  the  nest ;  the  female  was  not  seen. 

HIRUNDINIDAE— THE  MARTINS  AND  SWALLOWS. 

Seven  species  are  included  :n  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper  on 
the  Birds  of  the  Orinoco  Region.  The  writer  secured  only  five  of  the 
species  there  listed  but  has  since  collected  another  species,  one  not 
previously  recorded  from  the  region.  All  but  the  Barn  Swallow  are 
probably  resident  species  and  three  of  the  number  have  been  found 
breeding.  Progne,  Iridoprocne  and  Diplochclidon2  were  the  most  com- 
mon, the  latter  two  very  abundant. 

'The  nest  found  at  Urbana,  on  the  Orinoco,  Aug.  28,  1898,  measured  inside  7  cm.,  depth  3.5  cm. 
"Ridgway,  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.  III.  1904.  p.  27. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 


159 


KEY  TO  THE  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPIECES  OF  HIRUNDINIDAE. 

.     Nostrils  rounded,  opening  upward,  and  under  parts  not  entirely  white;  no 

white  spots  on  inner  webs  of  rectrices. 
b.     Size  large;  wing  more  than  120  mm. 

c.     Chin  and  upper  throat  nearly  uniform  with   breast.     Entire  upper 

parts,  in  adults,  glossy  blue  black,  in  young  blackish,  washed  with 

glossy  steel  bluish;  lateral  rectrices  narrowed  terminally. 

d.     Under  parts  glossy  steel  blue  like  upper  parts  (adult  male),  or  else 

feathers  of  throat  and  chest  edged  with  paler,  giving  a  squamate 

appearance  (female  and  young) 

d'.   Under  parts  not  glossy  steel  blue  like  upper  parts,  and  throat  and 
chest  feathers  without  prominent  paler  margins — not  squamate. .  . 
c'.    Chin  and  upper  throat  much  paler  than  breast.    Upper  parts  brown- 
ish grey  with  a  faint  gloss;  lateral  rectrices  more  rounded  terminally. 

b'.    Smaller;  wing  less  than  115  mm. 
c.     Tail  less  than  half  as  long  as  wing. 

c'.    Tail  half  as  long  or  more  than  half  as  long  as  wing 

d.  Under  tail-coverts  white  (with  blackish  subterminal  spots  in 
same)  and  throat  or  crown,  or  both,  rufous  or  tawny. 

e.     Both  crown  and  throat  tawny  or  rufous 

e'.    Throat  only,  tawny  or  rufous;  outer   primary   roughened   by 
recurved  tips  to  the  barbs  (not  apparent  in  young) 

d'.  Under  tail-coverts  black,  blackish  or  brown  with  slight  purplish 
wash,  no  rufous  or  tawny  on  either  throat  or  crown;  tail 
rather  deeply  forked. 

e.     In  adults  a  blue  black  band   across   breast,  throat  and  belly 
white 

e'.     Under  parts  glossy  blue-black  (like  the  back)  with  a  band    of 

white  across  the  breast 

'.     Nostrils  longitudinal,  opening  laterally,  at  lower  edge  of  nasal  fossa;  under 
parts  white,  or  rectrices  marked  with  white  spots  on  inner  webs  near  tips. 

b.     Rectrices  with  white  spot  on  inner  webs 

b'.     Rectrices  not  marked  with  white  spots  near  tips  on  inner  webs 


Progne  subis  subis. 
Progne  chalybea  chalybea. 


Pkaeoprogne  tapera  imma- 
culata. 


Pygochelidon '  cyanole 


Alopochelidon 3  fucata 4 


Stelgidopteryx  ruficollis 
aequalis. 


Diplochelidon  melanoleuca 
Ailicora  fasciata. 


Hirundo  erythrogaster. « 
Iridoprocne  albivenler. 


PROGNE  SUBIS  SUBIS  (Linnaeus). 

Hirundo  subis  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10  I.  1758.  p.  192. 
Progne  subis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  14. 

Not  met  with  on  the  Orinoco  proper  but  Klages  sent  examples 
to  the  Tring  Museum  that  were  collected  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura 
River  in  March  and  April  as  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 


lPygochelidon,  Baird,  Review  Am.  Birds.  1865.  pp.  270,  305,  308  (Type,  Hirundo  cyanoleuca  Vieillot). 

"While  I  find  no  record  of  this  species  having  been  taken  in  the  region  under  consideration  further 
collecting  will  doubtless  discover  it  as  it  has  occurred  at  La  Guayra,  Venezuela,  on  the  Island  of  Trinidad 
and  at  several  points  in  British  Guiana. 

'Alopochelidon,  Ridgway,  Birds  N.  &  M.  Amer.,  III.  1904.  p.  26  (Type,  Hirundo  fucala  Temmnick). 

•Although  this  species  has  not  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco,  I  include  it  in  the  key  on  the  strength 
of  its  having  been  taken  in  the  Roraima  district  in  British  Guiana. 

6 1  have  not  sufficient  material  to  properly  characterize  the  young  of  this  form,  but  from  specimens 
before  me  I  am  led  to  think  that  in  juvenal  plumage  the  throat  is  greyish  brown,  with  the  feathers  narrowly 
margined  with  pale  greyish;  breast,  belly  and  shorter  under-tail  coverts  white;  longer  tail  coverts  brown 
washed  with  purplish  blue  near  tips. 

"This  species  has  been  recorded  from  the  island  of  Curacao,  from  Barbados,  from  Trinidad,  and  from 
several  points  in  British  Guiana,  but  there  are  as  yet  apparently  no  records  for  the  Orinoco  region. 


l6o  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

PROGNE  CHALYBEA  CHALYBEA  (Gmelin). 

Hirundo  chalybea  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  1026. 
Progne  chalybea   Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  14. 

Native  name  Golondrina.  Common  at  Altagracia,  Caicara  and 
Quiribana  de  Caicara  from  December  to  April.  Immature  birds 
were  collected  at  Las  Guacas  on  the  San  Feliz  River  (near  the  Cuchi- 
vero  River)  in  May. 

Klages  collected  specimens  on  the  Caura  (Am.  Mus.  Coll.)  in 
July  and  August. 

PHAEOPROGNE1    TAPERA    IMMACULATA    Chapman 

Hirundo  taper  a  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  345. 

Progne  tapera  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  14. 

Phaeoprogne  tapera  immaculata  Chapman.  Bull.  Am.  Mus  Nat.  Hist. 
XXXI.  1912.  p.  156  (Type  $  Chicoral,  Tolima,  Colombia,  in  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History). 

A  single  specimen  of  this  species  was  collected  at  Caicara,  July 
4th,  1898.  None  were  observed  on  my  more  recent  expeditions. 

In  the  American  Museum  is  a  series  of  ten  specimens  collected  by 
Klages  sent  from  Suapure  and  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River,  and  two 
examples  of  Progne  chalybea  chalybea,  one  from  La  Union  and  the 
other  from  Maripa,  indicating  that  this  is  th^.  common  form  on  the 
Caura,  while  my  own  experience  showed  P.  chalybca  to  be  the  common 
form  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  Orinoco. 

The  American  Museum  specimens  of  P.  tapera  immaculata  from 
the  Caura  river  were  collected  during  April,  May  and  December. 

STELGIDOPTERYX  RUFICOLLIS  AEQUALIS  Bangs. 
Stelgidopteryx  ruficollis  aequalis  Bangs,   Proc.   New  Engl.  Zool.   Club. 

II.  1901.  p.  58  (Type,  Santa  Marta,  Colombia). 
Stelgidopteryx  ruficollis  uropygialis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  15. 

Common  all  along  the  middle  and  lower  Orinoco  throughout  the 
year.  Specimens  were  collected  in  February,  March,  May,  June  and 
August. 

Two  specimens  in  juvenal  plumage  were  taken  at  Caicara  during 
June.  These  young  birds  are  interesting  in  that  one  does  not  show 

^Phaeoprogne,  Baird  Review  Am.  Birds  1865.  pp.  272,  283. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION..  161 

a  sign  of  the  dusky  or  blackish  spot  at  the  tip  of  the  longer  under 
tail-coverts  while  in  the  other  there  is  a  small  dusky  spot  near  the  tip 
of  one  web  only.  The  outer  web  of  the  outer  primaries  of  these 
juvenile  birds  is  wider  than  in  adults  and  the  recurved  tips  to  the 
barbs  are  scarcely  evident.  The  plumage  above  resembles  that  of 
the  adults,  but  the  feathers  of  the  back  are  narrowly  edged  with  buff. 
The  pale  rufous  or  buffy  tips  to  the  greater  wing-coverts  form  a 
decided  band  on  the  wing,  and  there  are  broad  tips  and  edgings  to  the 
tertials.  Below,  the  breast  and  sides  are  washed  with  pale  rufous, 
paler  than  that  on  the  throat.  The  centre  of  the  white  belly  is 
washed  with  pale  primrose  yellow.  An  adult  male  taken  at  Las 
Barrancas  seems  to  approach  ruficollis  ruficollis  in  the  less  evident  paler 
rump  and  in  the  somewhat  deeper  rufous  of  the  throat. 

DlPLOCHELIDON1    MELANOLEUCA    (Wied). 

Hirundo  melanoleuca  Wied,  Reise.  Bras.  I.   1820.  p.  342 
Atticora  melanoleuca  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  15. 

Common  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river  and  rarely  seen 
far  from  the  river  bank. 

In  life  the  eye  is  blackish ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

I  found  this  species  breeding  at  Caicara  during  February  and 
March,  1898.  The  nests  were  placed  far  back  in  crevices  between 
the  rocks  of  a  long  low  rocky  peninsula  which  extends  far  out  into 
*the  river,  and  was  less  than  2  m.  above  the  surface  of  the  river  at 
that  time.  During  the  rainy  season  it  would  be  many  feet  sub- 
merged. The  nests  were  slight  affairs  made  up  of  a  small  quantity 
of  soft  dead  grasses  lined  with  soft  feathers.  The  eggs  are  a  delicate 
pure  white. 

This  species  played  an  important  part  in  an  interesting  spectacle 
that  I  witnessed,  on  the  evening  of  the  igih  of  July,  1898,  half  way 
between  Caicara  and  Altagracia.  I  had  made  my  canoe  fast  in  a  tree 
top,  above  one  of  the  many  submerged  islands  that  are  so  common  in 
the  Orinoco,  at  that  season  of  the  year.  As  a  storm  was  gathering 
and  it  was  near  sun-down,  we  were  too  far  from  either  shore  to 
attempt  to  reach  solid  ground  for  a  camp.  But  the  bird  drama  I  wit- 
nessed that  evening  amply  repaid  me  for  the  night  spent  in  the  tree 
tops.  Just  before  darkness  I  noted  immense  numbers  of  Progne  chaly- 


iDiplochelidon,  Ridgway,  Proc.   Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVI.  1903.  p.  106.     (Type  Hirundo  melanoleuca 

Wied*) 


l62  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

bea,  Iridoprocne  albiventer,  Diplochelidon  melanoleuca  and  perhaps  other 
species,  arriving  at  or  above  one  of  the  nearby  islands  of  green  tree  tops, 
where  already  there  seemed  to  be  tens  of  thousands  of  birds  wheeling 
and  circling  about.  The  great  masses  of  winged  bits  of  life  seemed 
to  be  influenced  by  a  single  mind,  rolling  like  a  wind  driven  storm 
cloud,  first  to  one  end  of  the  island  and  then  to  the  other.  Now  rising- 
high  in  the  air,  the  next  moment  dropping  almost  into  the  tree-tops, 
then  rising  and  circling  again,  the  moving  mass  would  resolve  itself 
into  a  living  cone  descending  rapidly  point  downward  with  a  roar 
like  a  whirlwind.  During  this  movement  thousands  appeared  to 
drop  into  the  tree-tops,  then  all  orderly  formation  would  be  lost  and 
the  remaining  multitudes  returned  to  the  rolling  circling  mass  that 
marshalled  its  forces  for  another  plunge  toward  the  tree-tops.  Dark- 
ness and  the  black  angry  clouds  of  the  coming  storm  hid  the  last  acts 
of  the  bird  drama  and  we  crept  beneath  the  carosa1  of  our  dugout  canoe, 
where  protected  from  the  storm  we  were  soon  lulled  to  sleep  by  the 
rocking  of  the  boat. 

ATTICORA  EASCIATA  (Gmelin). 

Hinmdo  fasciata  Gmelin  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  1022  (Cayenne). 
Atticora  fasciata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  15. 

This  species  was  not  collected  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but 
examples  were  sent  from  the  Caura  River  district  to  the  Tring 
Museum  by  Klages  (Berlepsch  and  Hartert);  and  in  the  American 
Museum  collection  are  examples,  also  collected  by  Klages,  from  the 
Mato  River  (at  its  entrance  into  the  Caura),  taken  in  January. 

IRIDOPROCNE  ALBIVENTER   (Boddaert). 
Hirundo  albiventer  Bodd.,  Tab.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  32. 
Tachycineta  albiventer  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  14. 

Common  along  the  river,  frequenting  the  localities  where  there  is 
little  current,  these  birds  may  be  seen  sailing  tirelessly  back  and 
forth  close  over  the  surface  of  the  water. 

I  found  this  species  breeding  at  Altagracia  in  February,  1898. 
Nests  were  placed  over  the  water  in  the  hollow  trunks  and  branches 

'The  roof  or  cover  of  the  roofed-over  part  of  a  river  canoe,  in  form  like  that  of  the  canvas  top  of  a 
^rp^^'^f0^'  y  ?SnSdStS  °f  ?  1-ight  frame  of  bent  P°les  havinS  the  two  ends  securely  tied  to  the  oppo- 

?™  t  v  f  Can°e<  ie  ^°°ups  beulng  held  ln  P°sition  above  by  other  light  poles  bound  on  lengthwise  of 
the  canoe;  this  frame  work  is  then  thatched  commonly  with  leaves  of  some  species  of  palm. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  163 

of  trees  that  lay  as  half  submerged  "snags."  In  1907  I  took  a  nest 
and  set  of  eggs  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar  on  the  I3th  of 
April.  The  nest  was  placed  in  a  crevice  between  two  huge  boulders 
on  the  shore  of  the  river  and  was  about  1.5  m.  above  the  level  of  the 
water.  It  was  composed  outwardly  of  fine  rootlets  and  was  lined 
with  soft  feathers.  Five  eggs  were  in  the  nest ;  two  of  them  per- 
fectly fresh,  two  just  on  the  point  of  hatching,  and  one  blackened  in 
color  and  with  its  contents  dried  down  into  one  end  of  the  egg  shell. 
This  last  egg  was  probably  from  a  previous  nesting.  In  color,  the 
eggs  are  pure  white;  in  form,  short  ovate,  and  measure  i8x  13.5;  17.5 
x  13.5  ;  17.25  x  13.5  and  17  x  13.25  mm.,  respectively. 

Both  parent  birds  were  present  and  evinced  much  solicitude  for 
their  home.  Both  were  collected.  They  are  in  rather  worn  plum- 
age with  scarcely  a  trace  of  the  white  tips  and  outer  edges  to  the 
greater  wing  coverts,  while  the  white  edging  to  the  outer  web  of  the 
inner  secondaries  is  very  narrow.  This  pair  of  birds  also  seem 
unusually  small,  the  male  measuring:  wing  98,  tail  46  mm. :  female,  wing 
97,  tail  47  mm. 


COEREBIDAE— THE  HONEY-CREEPERS. 

Seven  species  were  included  in  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper,  of 
which  number  the  writer  met  with  only  three  (Dacnis  cayana  cayana, 
Cyanerpes  caerulea  cherriei  and  Coereba  luteola)  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 
Two  additional  forms  have  been  recorded  from  the  region  since  the 
publication  of  the  above  mentioned  paper,  and  it  is  probable  that  future 
collecting  will  increase  the  number  by  four  or  five  more  species  already 
recorded  from  adjoining  territory. 


KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  COEREBIDAE. 

,     Bill  abruptly  hooked  at  tip '. Diglossa.  » 

.    Bill  not  abruptly  bent  and  hooked  at  tip. 
b.     Superciliaries  not  white  nor  yellowish  white. 
c.     Bill  longer  than  tarsus. 

d.     Mandible  yellow  or  yellowish Chlorophanes  spiza  spiza. 

d'.    Bill  black  (both  maxilla  and  mandible) ;  males  rich  blue  above 
and  below;  females  green,  or  greenish,  above;  paler  below  and 

«  more  or  less  streaked Cyanerpes. 

e.  Adult  males,  with  interscapulum  black  and  throat  blue  like 
breast;  females  and  immature  males  with  under  wing-coverts 
and  innar  edges  of  wing  quills  yellow Cyanerpes  cyanea  cyanea. 


'The  only  species  of  Diglossa  at  all  likely  to  come  into  the  region  under  consideration  would   be 
D.  major  from  British  Guiana  (Roraima). 


164  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

e'.    Adult   males,   interscapulum   blue,   chin   and   throat   black; 
females  and   immature  specimens  with  white,  or  yellowish 
white,  under  wing-coverts  and  inner  edges  to  wing  quills. 
/.     Black  of  throat  not  extending  on  to  the  chest. 

g.     Larger;  wing,  56  to  59  cm.;  tail,  28  to  31  cm.,  and  blue 

of  back  and  head  deeper  and  richer Cyanerpes  caerulea  caerulea  . 

g'.    Smaller;  wing,  53  to  55  cm.;  tail,  26  to  26.5  cm.;  general 
color  a  paler  blue,  the  anterior  part  of  crown  and  cheeks 

a  pale  azure  blue Cyanerpes  caerulea  cherriei.  i 

/'.    Black  of  throat  extending  on  to  the  chest Cyanerpes  nitida. 

c'.    Bill  not  longer  than  tarsus Dacnts. 

d.     Males,  more  or  less  black  about  the  head  (chin,  throat  lores, 
etc.);  or,  nearly  uniform  dark  purplish  blue,  or  bluish  grey  above. 
e.     Chin  and  throat  black  or  blackish. 

/.     General  color  blue Dacnis  cayana  cayana. 

f.    General  color  yellow Dacnis  flaviventris. 

ef.    Chin  and  throat  not  black  or  blackish. 

/.     Bright  blue  below,  centre  of  belly  white Dacnis  angelica.  J 

f.    Not  bright  blue  below. 

g.     Above  dark  purplish  blue Ateleodacnis  analis.  » 

g'.    Above  blueish  grey Aieleodacnis  bicolor. 

b'.    Superciliaries  white,  or  yellowish  white. 

c.     A  white  spot  at  base  of  primaries Coereba  luteola. 

d.     Averaging  smaller  (wing  average  54  mm.)  yellow  of  breast,  ab- 
domen and  upper  tail  coverts  paler Coereba  luieola  luteola. 

d'.    Averaging  larger  (wing  57  mm.)  yellow  color  darker  and  richer . ..     Coereba  luieola  hellmayri. 
c1.    No  white  spot  at  base  of  primaries Coereba  guianensis. 

CHLOROPHANES  SPIZA  SPIZA  (Linnaeus). 

Motacilla  spiza  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  188.  excl.  var.  ft. 
Chlorophanes  spiza  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.    15. 
Chlarophanes  spiza  spiza  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  10. 

While  I  have  not  observed  this  species  either  on  the  middle  or  on 
the  Upper  Orinoco,  it  has  been  recorded  from  Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco 
Delta  by  Hellmayr,  and  Klages  sent  specimens  from  Suapure  and  Nicare 
on  the  Caura  River  to  the  Tring  Museum,  as  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert. 

CYANERPES  CYANEA  CYANEA  (Linnaeus). 
Certhia  cyanea  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  188. 
Cyanerpes  cyanea  cyanea  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  10. 

This  species  has  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco  Delta  (Guanoco) 
by  Hellmayr,  and  Beebe  secured  specimens  at  the  same  locality  in 
April,  1908. 

CYANERPES  CAERULEA  CAERULEA  (Linnaeus). 
Certhia  caerulea  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758,  p.  118.  (Surinam). 
Cyanerpes  caerulea  caerulea  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  8. 
Recorded  from  Guanoco  (Orinoco  Delta)  by  Hellmayr. 


1C.  caerulea  trinitatis  Bonaparte  (Hellm.  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  8)  is  believed  to  be^confined 
to  the  island  of  Trinidad.  It  may,  however,  occur  on  the  mainland  of  Venezuela.  From  C.  c.  caerulea  and 
c.  cherriei  it  is  distinguished  by  its  larger  and  (at  the  base)  broader  bill;  and  by  the  dark  blue  of  the  crown 
being  uniform  from  the  forehead  to  the  nape. 

'Recorded  from  British  Guiana. 

'Recorded  from  Cayenne. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  165 

CYANERPES  CAERULEA  CHERRIEI  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Cyanerpes  caerulea  cherriei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902. 

p.  16.     (Type,  Munduapo,  Orinoco  River.) 

The  type  and  five  other  individuals  were  taken  at  Munduapo,  in 
the  heavily  forested  region  above  the  falls.  Neither  this  nor  Dacnis 
cayana,  which  was  also  observed  above  the  falls  of  the  Orinoco,  were 
noted  on  the  middle  or  lower  stretches  of  the  river. 

CYANERPES  NITIDA  (Hartlaub). 

Coereba  nitida  Hartl.  Rev.  Zool.  1847.  p.  84;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  16. 
Specimens  collected  on  the  Caura  River  at  Suapure  by  Klages 
and  at  Nicare  by  Andre  were  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert.     Not . 
observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

DACNIS  CAYANA  CAYANA  (Linnaeus). 
Motacilla  cayana  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  336. 
Dacnis  cayana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  15. 

Common  at  Maipures,  at  the  second  falls  of  the  Orinoco.  Al- 
though not  noted  by  the  writer  elsewhere  on  the  river,  Beebe  took 
specimens  at  Guanoco  in  the  delta  region. 

DACNIS  ELAVIVENTRIS  Lafresnaye  &  D'Orbigny. 
Dacnis  naviventris  Lafr.    &  D'Orb.,    Mag.    de   Zool.   VII.  1837.  P-  21 "> 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  16. 

A  single  specimen  collected  at  Nicare  on  the  Caura  River  was 
sent  by  Andre  to  the  Tring  Museum  and  recorded  in  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert's  paper. 

DACNIS  BICOLOR  (Vieillot). 

Sylvia  bicolor  Vieillot,  Ois.  Amer.  Sept.  II.  1807.  p.  32. 
Dacnis    bicolor    Beebe,    Zoologica,    N.    Y.    Zoo.    Soc.    I.    Dec.    1909. 

p.  102  (Cafios  an  Juan,  Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta). 

This  species  was  not  observed  by  the  writer  and  I  believe  Mr. 
Beebe's  record  is  the  first  and  only  one  for  the  Orinoco  region. 

COEREBA  LUTEOLA  LUTEOLA  (Cabanis). 
Certhiola  luteola  Cabanis,  Mus.  Hein.  I.   1850.  p.  96;  Berlepsch,  Ibis, 

1884.  p.  432  (Angostura). 
Coereba  luteola  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  16. 


l66  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Abundant.  This  species  is  found  breeding  most  abundantly 
throughout  the  dry  season ;  but,  from  my  observations,  1  believe  that 
they  are  to  be  found  nesting  during  every  month  of  the  year.  The 
nests  are  usually  placed  in  small  trees  or  bushes  from  I  to  3.5  m. 
from  the  ground,  the  average  height  not  being  over  2  m.  A  nest  taken 
at  Caicara,  June  27th  was  about  2  m.  between  upright  forks,  in  the 
top  of  a  bush.  It  is  globular  in  form,  about  12  cm.  in  diameter  with 
a  small  round  entrance  at  nearly  the  centre  on  one  side.  The  mater- 
ials used  in  construction  are  rather  coarse  and  consist  of  dead 
grasses,  leaves,  weed  stems,  strips  of  fibrous  bark  and  pieces  torn 
from  banana  leaves.  There  is  a  lining  of  fine  soft  dead  grass.  The 
three  eggs  found  in  this  nest  are  ovate  in  form  and  measure  15.75  x  11.75 
and  15.5x11.75  mm. 

On  April  9,  1907,  a  nest  and  set  of  two  badly  incubated  eggs  were 
taken  at  nearly  the  same  spot  where  those  described  above  were 
found.  This  nest  was  about  2.4  m.  from  the  ground.  The  eggs  are 
less  thickly  marked,  although  the  individual  markings  seem  larger. 
In  one  they  are  pretty  evenly  scattered  over  the  entire  surface  of  the 
egg,  being  massed  together  only  in  a  comparatively  small  area  about 
the  larger  end.  In  the  other  egg  the  markings  over  the  general  sur- 
face are  tiny  dots,  but  there  is  a  band  of  color  just  at  the  point  of 
greatest  diameter.  The  form  is  ovate,  and  they  measure  16.75x12.75 
and  17x12.5  mm.  respectively. 

Another  nest  that  was  collected  is  very  compactly  built,  com- 
posed almost  exclusively  of  very  fine  vegetable  fiber  woven  into 
spherical  shape,  and  was  securely  placed  between  the  upright  forks  of 
one  of  the  branches  of  a  low  shrub  about  i  m.  from  the  ground. 

Nests  of  this  species,  collectively,  show  considerable  individual 
taste  in  the  selection  of  nesting  material,  and  the  finished  nests  indi- 
cate that  some  birds  are  far  more  expert  builders  than  others,  their 
finished  work  being  compact  and  symmetrical,  while  that  of  others 
has  a  slovenly,  ragged  appearance. 

COEREBA  LUTEOLA  HELLMAYRI  Riley. 

C[oereba]   trinitatis  Lowe,  Ibis.  1907.  p.  566  (Trinidad). 

Coereba  luteola  hellmayri  Riley,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXIII:  1910: 

p.  loo. 

This  race  is  included  in  our  list  based  on  specimens  from  the  Paria 
Peninsula  (Cristobol,  Colon)  in  the  American  Museum  collection 
which  compared  .  with  Trinidad  examples  seem  identical.  Thus  the 
range  of  this  race  is  extended  to  the  mainland. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  167 

CoEREBA  GUIANENSIS  (Cabanis). 

Certhiola  guianensis  Cab.,  Mus.  Hein.  I.  1850.  p.  97. 
Coereba  guianensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  17. 

Klages  sent  specimens  to  the  Tring  Museum  that  were  collected 
at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River;  and  there  is  a  typical  example  in  the 
American  Museum  collection,  sent  by  the  same  collector  from  Ciudad 
Bolivar.  So  that  C.  I.  lutcola  and  C.  guianensis  are  found  together  at 
that  point. 

TANGARIDAE— EUPHONIAS  AND  TANAGERS. 

Eighteen  species  and  subspecies  were  collected  by  the  writer  on 
the  middle  and  upper  Orinoco,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  river, 
which  together  with  twelve  additional  species  taken  at  various  points 
on  the  Caura  River  formed  the  list  of  thirty  included  in  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert's  paper. 

Probably  all,  excepting  Piranga  rubra,  are  resident  species,  although 
the  number  of  species  or  the  number  of  individuals  that  may  be  found 
in  any  particular  locality  at  any  given  season  is  influenced  largely  by 
the  ripening  of  the  various  fruits  that  constitute  their  chief  food. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  TANGARIDAE. 

a.     Middle  of  belly  and  general  color  of  under  parts  yellow,  yellowish  or 
rufous  orange  (not  ochraceous  nor  buff)    the   throat  and  upper  breast 
and  the  sides  and  flanks  may  or  may  not  be  uniform  with  the  belly. 
b.     No  blue  or  black  markings  on  sides  or  flanks. 
c.     Throat  black,  blue-black  or  purplish  black. 

d.     No  yellow  or  yellowish  markings  on  the  head  (male) Tanagra  '  rufiventris. 

d'.    Forehead  and  more  or  less  of  crown  yellow  or  yellowish. 

e.     Under  tail  coverts  white Tanagra  olivacea  olivacea. 

e'.    Under  tail  coverts  yellow  or  yellowish  white. 
/.     Under  parts  dark  chrome  yellow;  yellow  crown  patch  ex- 
tending little,  if  any,  back  of  eye  and  truncated,  rather  than 
rounded  in  outline;  back  and  nape  with  a  decided  violace- 
ous gloss Tanagra  chlorotica  aurea. 

/'.   Under   parts   pale   orange-yellow;   yellow  crown   patch   ex- 
tending back  of  eye  and  posterior  outline  convex  rather  than 

truncated ;  back  and  nape  with  a  decided  steel  blue  gloss Tanagra  Irinitatis. 

c'.    Throat  not  black,  blue-black,  or  violaceous  black. 

d.     Upper  parts  olive  or  olive-greenish  (and  crown  not  blue) . 

e.     Crissum  rufous-orange  (female) Tanagra  rufiventris. 

e'.    Crissum,  orange-yellowish,  yellow,  yellowish  or  yellowish  white. 

I  chlorotica  aurea. 

f.     Wing  less  than  60  mm.  (females) Tanagra  \  trinitatis. 

\olivacea  olivacea. 
*  (violacea      lichten- 

f.    Wing  not  less  than  60  mm.  (females) Tanagra  j     sieini. 

[melanura. 
d'.    Upper  parts  black  with  violaceous  or  steel  blue  gloss. 

e.     Outer  tail-feathers  marked  with  white  on  inner  webs Tanagra     violacea     lichten- 

steini. 

e'.    No  white  markings  on  inner  webs  of  outer  tail-feathers Tanagra  melanura. 

b'.    Sides  and  flanks  blue  flecked  with  black. 

c.  M  iddle  of  breast  and  abdomen  pale  sulphur  yellow ;  shoulder  patch  of 
caerulean  rather  than  greenish  blue  (Upper  Orinoco  and  Upper 
Caura riverregion) Tangara  mexicana  medta. 


lThe  characters  here  employed  to  distinguish  the  various  species  of  Tanagra  apply,  with  rare  excep- 
tions, to  the  males  only. 


i68 


BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 


d.    Middle  of  breast  and  abdomen  bright  yellow,  and  shoulder  patches 

greenish  blue  (Trinidad  and  Eastern  Coast  district  of  Venezuela)  ....      Tangara  mexicana  vieilloti. 
General  color  of  under  parts  not  yellow  or  if  middle  of  belly  is  yellow 
it  is  in  combination  with  decidedly  green  breast  and  sides. 
>.     General  color  of  under  parts  olive  green  (with  or  without  purplish 

gloss),  blue,  grey,  pale  grey  or  white,  and  without  a  dark  breast  band. 
c.     Throat  black,  blackish,  purple  or  yellow  (in  adults). 
d.     Throat  yellow  (males). 

«.     Above  dull  sooty  black;  lower  back  bright  yellow 


«'.    Above  cinereous ;  head  and  neck  orange  red 

d'.    Throat  black,  blackish  or  purple. 

«.     Crissum  black 

«'.    Crissum,  not  black. 

/.     Tail  long  and  graduated,  feathers  tipped  with  white 

/'.   Tail  feathers  not  white  tipped 

c'.    Throat  not  black,  blackish  nor  yellow 

d.    Middle  of  belly  chestnut 

d'.   Middle  of  belly  not  chestnut. 
e.    Above  olive  green. 
/.     Crown  bright  blue 


Hemithraupisflavicollis  auri- 

gularis l. 
Thlypopsis  sordida  sordida. 

Tangara  paradisea. 

Cissopis  leveriana. 
Schistochlamys  aterrima. 

Tanagrella  iridina. 


/'.    Crown  olive  green Thraupis 


«'.    Not  olive  green  above. 

/.     Under  parts  pale  greyish  or  whitish  and  wing  not  over  80  mm. 
(male,  cap  black;  female,  nearly  uniform  cinereus  grey  above). 
/'.    Wing  more  than  80  mm. 

g.     Under  tail  coverts  (crissum)  white  or  pale  bluish  white 

g'.    Under  tail  coverts  not  white  nor  pale  bluish-white. 

h.  Lesser  wing  coverts  violaceous  or  violet  (and  the  under 
parts  in  adult  plumage  glossed  with  greater  or  lesser  in- 
tensity with  violet) 

h'.    Lesser  wing  coverts  blue  and  under  parts  with  a  greenish 

rather  than  a  violet  or  bluish  gloss 

b'.    General  color  of  under  parts  not  olive-green,  blue,  grey,  pale  grey  nor 
white  or  else  with  a  distinct  dark  breast  band. 

c.     Above  and  below  bright  vermilion 

c".    Not  bright  vermilion. 

d.     A  distinct  blackish  band  across  breast 

d'.    No  dark  breast  band. 

e.     General  color  of  under  parts  green. 

f.     Head  chestnut  brown  and  middle  of  belly  blue  or  green. 

g.     Bend  of  wing  golden  yellow 

g'.    Bend  of  wing  uniform  with  remaining  upper  surface 

/.'    Head  green,  feathers  black  at  base;  middle  of  belly  yellow 

«'.    General  color  of  under  parts  not  green. 

f.     Outer  edges  of  wing-quills  greenish  blue  or  bluish  green 

/'.    Outer  edges  of  wing-quills  not  greenish  nor  bluish. 

g.     Mandible  enlarged  and  swollen  at  base;  breast  dark  maroon 

(male). 

h.  Back  and  belly  black  (males) ;  females,  above  dusky  seal 
brown ' 

h'.    Upper  paits  velvety  blackish  maroon  glossed  with  crim- 
son (males) ;  females,  above  dark  mummy  brown. 
».     Larger;  wing  80  mm.  or  more 

»'.    Smaller;  wing  less  than  80  mm 

g'.     Mandible  not  noticeably  enlarged  and  swollen  at  base. 
h.     With  a  well  marked  median  vertical  crest  (males). 

»'.     Median  crest  bright  scarlet 

»'.    Median  crest  not  scarlet. 
j.     With  an  ochraceous  or  buffy  throat  spot. 

k.     Crest   small,   bright   orange   red    bordered    with 
creamy  buff 

fe7.    Crest   larger,   orange   yellow   narrowly   bordered 
with  creamy  buff 

/.     No  gular  spot ;  throat  uniform  with  breast  (male) .  .  . 
h.'.    Without  elongated  median  vertical  crest. 


Sporathraupis  cyanocephala 
subcinerea. 

palmarum    mel- 

anoptera. 
palmarum     pal- 
marum. 


Nemosia  pileata. 
Thraupis  glaucocolpa. 


Thraupis  episcopus  nesophi 
lus. 

Thraupis  cana  cana. 

Piranga  rubra  rubra. 
Tangara  nigrocinclu. 


Tangara  gyrola. 
Tangara  desmaresti. 
Tangara  xanthogastra. 

Tangara  cayana. 


Ramphocelus      atrosericeUs 
capilalis. 


Ramphocelus   carbo    magni- 

roslris. 
Ramphocelus  carbo  carbo. 


Phoenicothrc 
rubica. 


Tachyphonus  cristaluf  crist- 
atellus. 

Tachyphonus  crislatus  inter- 

cedens. 
Tachyphonus   surinamus 


1See  American  Museum  Bull. 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  169 

i.     Black  above  and  below,  with  white  under  wing-coverts 
and  shoulder  patch. 

j.     Larger ;  wing  more  than  75  mm.  (males) Tachyphonus  rufus. 

j'.    Smaller;  wing  less  than  75  mm.  (males) Tachyphonus  luctuosus. 

i'.     General  color  above  and  below  not  black. 
j.     Pileum  (but  not  sides  of  head)  dark  grey  with  a  more 

or  less  concealed  olive  green  crown  patch  (female) ....     Tachyphonus  surinamus 

surinamus. 
j'.    Pileum  not  dark  grey. 

k.     Smaller;  wing  not  over  65  mm.  (female) Tachyphonus    luctuosus. 

V.    Larger;  wing  over  65  mm.  (females). 

/.     Above  plain  rufous  chestnut Tachyphonus  rufus. 

I'.    Above    bright    olive    brown;    bases    of   crown 
feathers  bright  buffy  or  yellowish  olive  forming 

a  more  or  less  concealed  crown  spot Phoenicolhraupis  rubica 

rubica. 

TANAGRA  CHLOROTICA  Linnaeus. 

Tanagra  chlowtica  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  317. 
Euphonia  chlorotica  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  17. 

During  the  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco,  a  series  of  Euphonia 
from  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Ouiribana  de  Caicara  and  Maipures  were 
sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  and  identified  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert, 
as  pertaining  to  this  species.  At  that  time  I  seemed  to  have  observed 
many  more  examples  of  this  species  than  I  did  of  H.  trinitatis,  but  dur- 
ing the  two  last  expeditions  specimens  of  the  latter  species  only  have 
been  collected. 

No  specimens  of  this  species  were  found  among  the  birds  sent  to 
the  American  Museum  by  Klages  either  from  the  neighborhood  of 
.Ciudad  Bolivar  or  from  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

TANAGRA  TRINITATIS  (Strickland). 
Buphonia  trinitatis  Strickl.,  Contr.  Orn.  1851.  p.  72;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

p.  17. 

Venezuelan  common  name  "Fin-fin"  or  "Sin-fin."  On  the  recent 
expeditions  I  found  this  species  common. 

A  female  in  adult  nuptial  plumage  (taken  June  I4th)  is  a  rich 
olive-green  above,  below,  chrome  yellow  with  sides  of  breast  and 
flanks  a  deep  olive  yellow.  Females  in  what  is  probably  the  first 
nuptial  plumage  are  quite  different  from  those  in  adult  plumage  and 
resemble  greatly  birds  in  Juvenal  dress.  A  female  in  what  I  con- 
sider the  first  nuptial  plumage,  taken  April  I7th,  is  greyish  olive- 
green  above;  below,  the  throat,  sides,  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts  are 
olive  yellow  brightest  on  the  under  tail-coverts,  centre  of  breast  grey- 
ish, centre  of  abdomen  greyish  white. 

A  male  in  Juvenal  plumage,  taken  May  3Oth  is  greyish  olive- 
green  above  (of  a  lighter  shade  than  the  female  of  May  loth)  ;  below, 
breast  greyish,  abdomen  white,  sides  of  breast  light  greyish  olive; 


170  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

throat,  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts  light  citron  yellow,  palest  on  the 
throat.  Females  in  Juvenal  plumage  resemble  males  in  the  same 
plumage.1 

The  colors  from  an  adult  male  taken  June  28th  were :  eye  seal ; 
bill,  above  black,  below  plumbeous;  feet  slate  grey.  A  male  just 
assuming  the  adult  phase  had  the  bill  above  slate  black,  below  slate 
grey  with  blackish  tip. 

In  the  series  in  the  Brooklyn  Museum  and  the  Klages  specimens 
in  the  American  Museum  the  yellow  on  the  crown  is  about  inter- 
mediate in  amount  between  that  on  the  crown  of  E.  chlorotica  violacei- 
collis  from  Chapado  Matto  Grosso,2  and  E.  trinitatis3  from  Bonda,  Santa 
Marta,  Colombia.  The  Santa  Marta  birds  probably  represent  a  dis- 
tinct race. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens,  sent  by  Klages, 
collected  on  the  Caura  River,  during  September  and  December,  and 
from  Ciudad  Bolivar  on  the  Orinoco  collected  in  December.  My 
own  notes  show  that  specimens  were  collected  at  various  points  on 
the  Orinoco  from  March  to  August  inclusive. 

A  nest  and  set  of  three  fresh  eggs  together  with  the  mother  bird 
was  collected  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar  April  17,  1907.  The 
nesting  site  was  a  Chaparo  oak  in  the  midst  of  a  savanna  that  was 
dotted  thinly  with  trees.  The  nest  was  located  near  the  tip  of  a  long 
horizontal  branch  and  only  about  1.4  m.  from  the  ground.  In 
shape  it  is  a  flattened  ball  and  is  constructed  entirely  of  dry  grasses, 
of  medium  texture  loosely  woven  into  shape  and  is  without  other  lin- 
ing. The  entrance  is  a  round  hole  in  the  middle  of  one  side.  The 
nest  rested  on  the  main  branch  and  two  small  horizontal  twigs  that 
proceed  from  opposite  sides  of  the  main  branch,  the  result  being  a 
cross-shaped  support.  It  was  not  tied  in  any  way  to  the  supporting 
branches  and  certainly  gave  one  the  impression  that  it  was  very  inse- 
cure. My  thought  at  the  time  of  finding  it  was  that  with  the  first  puff 
of  wind  it  would  go  tumbling  to  the  ground.  The  measurements  are : 
horizontal  diameter  about  15  cm.,  vertical  diameter  about  10  cm.; 
the  entrance  hole  is  3.5  cm.  in  diameter.  The  eggs  are  from  ovate 
to  medium  short-ovate  in  form.  They  measure  15.5x12.25;  17.75x12 

'An  examination  of  the  specimens  of  Tanagra  in  the  collections  of  the  American  Museum  and  the 
Brooklyn  Museum,  t9gether  with  a  consideration  of  my  field  notes  and  observations  convinces  me  that 
our  greatest  advance  in  knowledge  of  the  specific  character  of  the  various  members  of  the  group  will  result 
from  a  careful,  systematic  study  of  age  and  seasonal  plumages  correlated  with  field  observations. 

»Am.  Mus.  Coll. 

'Idem. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  171 

and  16.5  x  12.5  mm.  They  are  white  with  brown  markings  vary- 
ing in  color  from  a  light  hazel  to  a  dark  chestnut.  In  two  of  the 
eggs  the  markings  consisting  of  small  specks  and  dots  are  quite 
uniformly  and  thickly  distributed  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  egg ; 
in  the  third  egg  of  the  set  the  markings  are  much  fewer  in  number, 
average  much  larger  in  size,  and  are  thickly  massed  about  the  larger 
end. 

TANAGRA  OLIVACEA  OLIVACEA  (Desmarest). 
Enphonia    trinitatis    Strickl.,    Contr.    Orn.    1851.    p.    72;    Berlepsch    & 

Hartert.  p.  17. 

Reported  from  Nicare,  on  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert. 

TANAGRA  VIOLACEA  (Linnaeus). 

Fringilla  violacea  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  182. 
Euphonia  violacea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  18. 

Specimens  collected  on  the  Caura  River  at  Saupure,  La  Pricion 
and  La -Union  were  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  by  Andre  and  by 
Klages. 

In  the  American  Museum  are  Klages  specimens  collected  on  the 
Caura  River  at  El  Llagual  in  March,  Suapure  in  April,  Maripa  in 
May  and  at  La  Union  in  October. 

TANAGRA  MELANURA  (Sclater). 

Euphonia  melanura  Scl.,  Contr.  Orn.  1851.  p.  86;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 
p.  18. 

Two  specimens,  male  and  female,  taken  at  Maipures,  December 
17,  1898. 

TANAGRA  RUFIVENTRIS  Vieillot. 

Tanagra  rufiventris  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXXIII.  1819.  p.  426. 
Euphonia  rufiventris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  18. 

Collected  about  Manduapo  in  February,  1899.    Not  common. 

TANAGRA  CHRYSOPASTA  (Sclater  &  Salvin). 

Euphonia  chrysopasta  Scl.  &  Salv.,  P.  Z.  S.  1869.  p.  438;  Berlepsch  & 
Hartert,  p.  18. 

This  was  the  common  form  of  Tanagra  above  the  falls  of  the 
river  while  T.  trinitatis  was  the  common  species  along  the  middle  part 
of  the  river 


1/2  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

TANAGRELLA  IRIDINA  (Hartlaub). 

Tanagra  iridina  Hartl.,  Rev.  Zool.  1841.  p.  305. 
Tanagrella  iridina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  18. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  report  a  single  specimen,  a  male,  collected 
at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River  and  sent  by  Klages  to  the  Tring 
Museum,  and  there  is  an  adult  male  from  La  Union  on  the  Caura 
River  in  the  American  Museum  collection  that  was  collected  by 
Klages  October  loth.  This  specimen  agrees  exactly  with  one  from 
Bogota  in  the  same  collection. 

TANGARA  PARADISEA  (Swainson). 

Aglaia  paradisea  Swains.,  Class.  Birds,  II.  1837.  p.  286. 
Calliste  paradisea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  18. 

Collected  on  the  Caura  River  at  Suapure  by  Klages  and  at 
Nicare  by  Andre,  and  recorded  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper. 

TANGARA  XANTHOGASTRA  (Sclater). 

Calliste  xanthogastra  Scl.,  Contr.  Orn.   1851.  pp.  23,  55;  Berlepsch  & 
Hartert,  p.  19. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  report  this  species  as  also  taken  on  the 
Caura  at  Nicare  by  Andre. 

TANGARA  CAYANA.CAYANA    (Linnaeus). 
Tanagra  cay  ana  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  315. 
Calliste  cayana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  19. 

This  is  the  most  abundant  species  of  this  group  of  Tanagers  to 
be  found  along  the  Orinoco.  Specimens  were  collected  at  many 
points  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  up  to  above  the  falls  of  Maipures;  Klages 
collected  a  series  at  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River  during  December, 
February,  April  and  May.1 

In  life  the  eye  is  dark  sepia  brown ;  bill  blackish  above  and  slate 
color  below;  feet  light  slate  color.  Adult  birds  of  this  species  if  held 
between  the  observer  and  the  light,  on  a  level  or  slightly  below  the 
level  of  the  eye,  appear  a  beautiful  iridescent  golden  bronze  both 
above  and  below. 

"Am.  Mus.  Coll. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  1/3 

The  nesting  season  on  the  Upper  Orinoco  begins  in  December, 
while  on  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river  from  Caicara  downward, 
breeding  does  not  begin  before  the  first  of  April. 

A  nest  of  this  species  taken  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  April  gih, 
was  taken  from  the  branches  of  one  of  the  small  scrub  oaks  that 
grow  scattered  over  the  open  savanna.  It  was  about  2.4  m.  from  the 
ground  amid  a  cluster  of  small  branches,  and  admirably  concealed 
by  green  leaves  from  above  and  on  the  sides.  The  outer  walls  of  the 
nest  were  constructed  almost  entirely  of  leaf  stems;  the  lining  con- 
sisted of  very  fine,  hair-like  grass  and  rootlets  together  with  a  few  bits 
of  greenish-white  lichens.  There  were  two  eggs,  both  incubated, 
only  one  of  which  was  saved.  In  "color  this  was  a  "whitish-brown," 
finely  speckled  all  over,  but  more  thickly  on  the  larger  end,  with 
rufous  brown.  It  measured  20  x  15.1  mm. 

A  nest  collected  at  Maipures  on  the  Qth  of  January,  was  held 
between  the  slender  tips  of  the  upright  branches  of  a  dwarf  scrub 
oak,  which  had  found  a  scanty  foothold  between  rocks  near  the 
river  bank.  It  was  only  about  1.5  metres  from  the  ground,  was 
similar  in  construction  to  the  nest  described  above,  but  had  a  number 
of  half  decayed  leaves  woven  into  the  body  of  the  nest,  all  bound 
together  with  cobwebs.  This  nest  measures,  outside  8.2  cm.  diameter 
by  6.5  cm.  depth ;  inside  5  cm.  diameter  by  3.4  cm.  depth.  In  the 
black  hair-like  vegetable  fibres  of  the  inner  lining  are  several 
bits  of  greenish-white  lichens.  The  two  eggs  are  ovate  in  form  and 
measure  20x15.2  mm.  In  color  they  are  a  soiled  white,  thickly 
marked  all  over  with  fine  specks  and  dots  of  a  shade  of  brown  between 
vandyke  and  chestnut  which  are  so  closely  set  about  the  larger  end 
as  to  form  a  band.  In  one  egg  the  specks  and  spots  are  much  larger 
and  more  prominent  than  in  the  other.  Not  more  than  two  eggs 
were  found  in  each  of  more  than  a  dozen  nests  examined,  so  that  two 
is  probably  a  normal  clutch. 

TANGARA  MEXICANA  MEDIA  (Berlepsch  &  Hartert). 
Calliste  mexicana  media  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.   IX.   1902. 
p.  19.     (Type,  Tring  Museum,  Maipures,  Orinoco  River.) 
This     form    of     Tangara     which     is     intermediate     in     coloration 
between  T.  mexicana  mexicana  from  Cayenne  and  T.  mexicana  vieilloti 
of  Trinidad  and  the   delta  region  of  the  Orinoco,  was  common  at 
Perico,  at  the  foot  of  the  falls  of  Atures,  and  as  far  beyond  as  I  col- 
lected  on    the    upper    Orinoco.     It    is   often    mentioned    in    my    notes. 


174  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

from  September  to  February.  Not  observed  on  the  lower  Orinoco, 
but  Klages  sent  specimens  from  La  Union  and  Suapure  on  the  Caura 
River  to  the  American  Museum. 

TANGARA  MEXICAN  A  VIEILLOTI  (Sclater). 
Calliste  vieilloti  Scl.,  P.  Z.  S.  1856.  p.  257. 

Beebe  secured  specimens  at  Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco  Delta  that 
agreed  exactly  with  examples  from  Trinidad.  There  is  a  long  stretch 
of  country  between  the  heavily  timbered  .country  above  the  falls  and 
the  equally  heavily  wooded  region  of  the  delta  where  no  forms  of 
T.  mexicana  seem  to  be  found. 

TANGARA  NIGROCINCTA  (Bonaparte). 
Aglaia  nigrocincta  Bonap.,  P.  Z.  S.  1837.  p.  121. 
Calliste  nigrocincta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  20. 

The  Tring  Museum  received  specimens  from  Suapure  and  Nicare 
on  the  Caura  River,  and  it  is  reported  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 
Thraupis   episcopus   nesophilus   Riley,    Proc.    Biol.    Soc.    Wash.    XXV. 

1912.  185. 

THRAUPIS  EPISCOPUS  NESOPHILUS   (Riley). 
Tanagra  cana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  20,  not  Swains. 

Native  name  Asulejo.  Abundant.  Found  in  all  sorts  of  locali- 
ties but  not  common  in  heavy  timber. 

The  colors  of  fresh  birds  are :  eye  brown ;  bill  blackish  above,  slate 
below ;  feet  slate  color. 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  I  took  a  nest  and  set  of 
eggs  of  this  species,  on  April  13,  1898.  This  nest  was  in  a  small 
scrub  oak,  about  6  m.  from  the  ground.  It  was  surrounded  by  a 
tangle  of  small  twigs,  and  almost  completely  concealed  by  green 
leaves.  The  parent  birds  were  very  shy.  The  nest  was  thick- 
walled,  outwardly  composed  chiefly  of  leaf  stems,  and  lined  with  fine 
vegetable  fibers  and  rootlets.  The  nest  contained  two  eggs,  both 
much  incubated,  only  one  of  which  was  preserved.  The  egg  is  of  a 
"dirty  flesh-color,  all  over  thickly  covered  with  liver-brown  and 
underlying  pale  purplish  grey  spots  and  patches,  and  measures 
23.1  x  16.8  mm."1 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  20,  through  some  error,  insert  the  description  of  this  nest  and  set  of  eggs  under 
the  head  of  T.  palmarum  melanoptera. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  175 

Four  sets  of  eggs  were  taken  in  1907,  all  showing  a  very  consider- 
able amount  of  variation  in  the  shade  of  color  and  the  amount  and 
size  of  the  markings. 

One  set  taken  at  Caicara  on  the  7th  of  May,  contained  two  fresh 
eggs.  In  the  nest  was  also  one  egg  of  the  Venezuelan  Cow-bird, 
Molothrus  bonariensis  venezuelcnsis.  The  two  eggs  of  T.  cpiscopus 
nesophilus  are  ovate  in  form  and  measure  21.75  x  *6-5  mm.  and  22  x  15.75 
mm.  respectively.  In  one  the  ground  color  is  dirty  white  with  just  a 
shade  of  bluish  green  rather  thickly  marked  with  dots,  spots  and  blotches 
of  pale  ecru  drab,  underlying  spots  and  blotches  of  blackish  clove 
brown ;  the  general  ground  color  of  the  other  egg  is  darker,  the 
underlying  markings  are  larger,  brownish  drab  in  color,  forming  a 
nearly  solid  mass  of  color  about  the  larger  end,  and  the  superimposed 
blotches  are  a  dark  vandyke  brown.  The  nest  taken  with  this  set 
of  eggs  is  similar  to  that  described  above,  a  compactly  woven,  thick- 
walled  cup  composed  largely  of  leaf  stems  and  a  few  dead  leaves 
held  in  place  by  a  small  quantity  of  spider  webs.  The  nest  lining 
was  composed  of  small  pieces  and  short  strips  of  some  soft  thin  bark 
beneath  a  few  pieces  of  fine  dead  grasses.  The  nest  measures:  out- 
side, 10  cm.  in  diameter  by  6.5  cm.  in  depth;  inside,  6  cm.  in  diameter 
by  4  cm.  in  depth.  It  is  loosely,  and  it  would  seem,  most  insecurely  set 
at  the  intersection  of  a  small  twig,  with  a  larger  horizontal  branch,  the 
union  forming  a  V-shaped  support  for  the  nest. 

A  nest  containing  one  fresh  egg  was  found  near  the  same  point 
May  8th.  It  was  placed  between  the  forks  of  three  large  limbs  which 
sprang  from  the  same  point,  two  branching  almost  horizontally  and 
one  rising  at  an  angle  of  about  45°  from  the  horizontal.  The  nest 
rested  at  the  base  of  the  angle  between  the  two  horizontal  limbs 
which  concealed  it  from  below,  while  the  third  limb  extending  out 
over  the  nest  concealed  it  from  above.  In  the  same  tree  with  this 
nest,  and  none  more  than  3  m.  from  it  were  nests  of  Myiozetetes 
te.vensis  columbianus.  Pitangus  sulphuratus  rufipennis  and  Icterus 
.\-ant hornns,  all  occupied.  The'single  egg  found  in  this  nest  is  ovate 
and  measures  24.5  x  18.5  mm.  The  ground  color  is  similar  to  that  of 
those  last  described ;  the  markings  vary  from  a  mars  brown  to  a  dark 
vandyke,  and  consist  of  dots  and  spots  thickly  spread  over  the  entire 
surface,  and  especially  about  the  larger  end. 

A  nest  found  May  loth,  also  at  Caicara,  contained  two  badly  incu- 
bated eggs.  This  nest  was  about  4.57  m.  from  the  ground  in  a  guamal 


176  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETFN  2.  6. 

oak.  One  of  the  eggs  was  broken  in  removing  the  embryo.  The 
single  specimen  preserved  is  ovate  in  form  and  measures  22.5  x  16.75 
mm.  The  ground  color  of  this  egg  is  uniform  with  the  two  last 
described,  but  the  general  color  of  the  egg  surface  is  considerably 
lighter  owing  to  the  sharp  outlines  of  the  small  spots,  which  are 
thickly  scattered  over  the  entire  surface,  especially  about  the  larger 
end,  and  which  vary  in  color  from  drab  to  clove  brown. 

A  fourth  set  of  two  fresh  eggs,  taken  May  21,  1907,  on  the  San 
Feliz  River  near  its  junction  with  the  Cuchivero  River,  are  so  heavily 
marked  as  to  almost  completely  hide  the  dirty  white  ground.  In 
one  of  the  eggs  the  markings  of  brown,  from  a  bistre  to  a  Vandyke, 
blend  into  and  overlap  one  another  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  egg. 
The  other  egg  differs  only  in  having  a  few  superimposed  dots,  spots 
and  blotches  of  dark  clove  brown  scattered  irregularly  over  the  egg 
surface.  These  eggs  are  ovate  in  form  and  measure  22.25  x  I7-25 
and  22.25  x  T7-5  mm-  I*1  the  same  tree  with  the  nest  from  which 
these  eggs  were  taken,  and  not  2  m.  from  it,  was  an  occupied  nest  of 
Tyrannus  melancholicus. 

From  my  observations  and  the  material  secured  we  may  conclude 
that  normally  this  species  lays  two  eggs,  and  that  the  nesting  season 
lasts  from  April  to  June  in  the  middle  Orinoco  region.  Nests  are  placed 
from  1.5  to  6  m.  from  the  ground,  favorite  nesting  sites  being  in  the 
guamal  or  scrub  oaks  that  sparsely  dot  much  of  the  savanna  country, 
and  frequently  in  trees  occupied  by  nests  of  other  birds. 

This  form  of  the  Blue  Tanager  is  found  throughout  the  delta 
region  along  the  middle  Orinoco  and  up  beyond  the  falls  of  Atures 
and  Maipures,  where  it  is  found  in  company  with  and  is  gradually 
replaced  by  T.  episcopus  episcopus. 

The  American  Museum  has  specimens  from  Maripa,  on  the 
Caura  River,  collected  in  February,  April,  May  and  December,  and 
from  Ciudad  Bolivar  on  the  Orinoco  collected  in  June,  July  and 
December.  One  of  the  December  birds  from  Ciudad  Bolivar,  in  the 
paleness  of  the  blue  shoulder  patch,  approaches  T.  episcopus  episcopus. 
There  is  a  wide  variation  in  the  intensity  of  the  coloring  of  the  blue 
shoulder  patch  which  is  due  largely,  if  not  entirely,  to  age.  However, 
the  same  might  be  said  regarding  the  general  coloring. 

Birds  in  juvenal  plumage  are  greenish  grey,  heavily  washed  on  the 
back  with  sage  green,  below  much  paler  and  only  faintly  washed  with 
a  slightly  yellowish  green.  Median  and  lesser  coverts  like  the  back; 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  177 

greater  coverts  dusky  blackish  edged  with  glaucous  green ;  remiges 
black,  broadly  edged  on  outer  webs,  on  tertials  and  secondaries 
with  glaucous  green  which  changes  to  a  beryl  green  on  primaries. 
Centre  pair  of  tail  feathers  bice  green,  brightest  on  outer  webs,  remain- 
ing rectrices  with  outer  webs  bice  green,  inner  webs  blackish. 

First  nuptial  plumage.  Above  and  below  greenish  grey ;  back  and 
scapulars  heavily  washed  with  bice  green ;  rump  a  bluish  beryl  green ; 
head  and  neck  all  around,  and  under  parts  washed  with  glaucous 
green.  Median  and  lesser  wing  coverts  nearly  a  cobalt  blue ;  greater 
coverts  and  outer  webs  of  remiges  dark  bice  green  with  the  extreme 
outer  edges  between  a  glaucous  and  beryl  green ;  inner  webs  of  wing 
quills  black.  Tail  above  dusky  with  greenish  wash ;  outer  webs  of 
rectrices  edged  with  beryl  green.  Under  surface  of  tail  greyish  blue 
or  greenish,  varying  in  color  when  seen  at  different  angles. 

Adult  nuptial  plumage.  Similar  to  the  first  nuptial,  but  with  the 
glaucous  green  wash  of  the  under  parts  replaced  by  a  decided  violet 
or  bluish  wash;  the  greater  wing  coverts  and  remiges  with  edges  of 
outer  webs  bright  nile  blue,  and  the  median  and  lesser  wing  coverts 
nearer  an  azure  than  a  cobalt  blue.  Only  about  ten  per  cent,  of  the 
specimens  collected  will  be  in  adult  nuptial  plumage. 

THRAUPIS  CANA  CANA  Swainson. 
T[anagra]  cana  Sw.  Ornith.  Drawings,  PI.  XXXVII.  1836. 

This  is  found  with  T.  e.  nesophilus  on  the  upper  Orinoco  from  above 
the  falls,  and  is  there  the  more  common  of  the  two  forms. 

THRAUPIS  PALMARUM  MELANOPTERA  (Sclater). 
Tanagra  melanoptera  Scl.,  P.  Z.  S.  1856.  p.  235. 
Tanagra  palmarum  melanoptera  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  20. 

The  Azulejo  ordinario  as  this  species  is  known  to  the  Venezuelans 
is  equally  common  and  often  in  company  with  T.  c.  nesophilus. 

In  fresh  birds  the  eye  is  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  slate  grey. 

Specimens  from  above  the  falls  of  Atures1  are  heavily  washed 
with  violet  both  above  and  below,  and  the  tarsus  averages  shorter 
than  in  specimens  from  Trinidad  and  points  on  the  middle  and  lower 
Orinoco.  In  the  American  Museum  are  specimens  collected  by 
Klages  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  in  June,  July,  August  and  December,  and 
at  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River  in  May. 

1  Four  specimens,  two  males  and  two  females  examined,  collected  in  December,  January  and  March. 


178  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

"RAMPHOCELUS  CARBO  CARBO   (Pallas). 

Lanius  carbo  Pallas   in  Vroeg.     Cat.   rais.   d'Oiseaux,  Adurnbrat  p.   2 

(1764 — Surinam).1 
Ramphocelus  jacapa  auct. ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  20. 

Typical  R.  carbo  is  abundant  in  the  heavily  wooded  region  above 
the  falls  of  Atures,  and  may  be  occasionally  found  as  far  down  the 
Orinoco  as  the  mouth  of  the  Apure  River  and  Caicara ;  but.  from  that 
point  until  one  arrives  at  the  tangled  jungle  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
delta  region  where  R.  carbo  magnirostris  and  R.  atrosericeus  capitalis 
abound,  these  tanagers  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 

Females.  Above  dark  mummy  brown,  rich  burnt  umber  on 
lower  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts;  wings  and  tail  blackish  brown ; 
below  chestnut  shaded  with  dusky  on  breast ;  chin  and  throat  drab. 

Males  in  Juvenal  plumage.  Resemble  the  female,  but  have  the  rump 
nearly  a  brick  red,  while  on  the  throat  there  is  a  strong  vinaceous 
wash.  In  the  American  Museum  are  specimens  collected  by  Klages 
at  Suapure  and  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River.  They  represent  adults 
of  both  sexes  collected  during  the  months  of  May,  September  and 
November. 

RAMPHOCELUS  CARBO  MAGNIROSTRIS  Lafresnaye. 
Ramphocelus  magnirostris  Lafresnaye,  Rev.  Zool.  1853.  p.  243. 
Ramphocelus  jacapa   magnirostris  Hellmayr,   Novit.   Zool.  XIII.    1906. 
p.  15  (Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta). 

Hellmayr  records  specimens  of  this  species  from  Guanoco  in  the 
Orinoco  delta,  and  T  have  examined  specimens  collected  at  the  same 
point  by  Mr.  C.  Wm.  Beebe  that  agree  exactly  with  specimens  from 
Trinidad. 

RAMPHOCELUS  ATROSERICEUS  CAPITALIS  Allen. 

Ramphocelus  atrosericeus  capitalis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  IV.  1892.  p.  51 
(El  Pilar  near  Cumana,  Venezuela). 

Five  specimens  collected  by  the  writer  at  Las  Barrancas  have 
been  compared  with  the  type  in  the  American  Museum  collection  and 
found  to  agree  exactly. 

'Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  357. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  179 

Contrary  to  Mr.  Hellmayr's  conclusions  based  on  material  from 
Guanoco1  I  do  not  consider  R.  a.  capitalis  a  synonym  of  magnirostris 
but  a  well  marked  race  of  atrosericeus  and  very  readily  distinguishable 
from  the  former.  Of  the  specimens  secured  two  are  adult  males,  one  a 
male  in  Juvenal  plumage,  and  two  (probably)  adult  females. 

The  females  are  almost  as  easily  distinguished  from  the  females 
of  R.  c.  magnirostris  as  are  the  males  one  from  another. 

Adult  female.  Above  dusky  seal  brown;  wings  and  tail  more  black- 
ish ;  rump  washed  with  bright  chestnut ;  faintly  vinaceous  on  fore- 
head. Below,  throat  and  upper  breast  bright  bay,  blending  gradu- 
ally into  bright  chestnut  with  a  faint  wash  of  dragon's  blood  red  on 
belly  and  sides. 

Immature  male.  \  specimen  taken  July  3ist  is  in  transitional 
plumage  from  Juvenal  plumage  to  what  would  correspond  to  the  first 
winter  plumage  of  our  northern  Passeres.  Above  its  head  is  dusky 
brownish  black;  back  bright  reddish  chestnut,  produced  by  the  broad 
edges  and  tips  to  black  feathers ;  rump  bright  reddish  chestnut ;  wings 
and  tail  brownish  black;  lesser,  median  and  greater  coverts  narrowly 
tipped  and  edged  with  chestnut;  wing  quills  edged  with  chestnut  on 
outer  webs ;  below,  throat  dusky  brownish ;  remaining  under  parts 
bright  chestnut,  washed  with  rufous  on  sides  and  flanks.  Bill,  in 
life,  dusky  slate;  feet  dusky  slate. 

PlRANGA    RUBRA    RUBRA    (Linnaeus). 

FringiUa  rubra  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  181. 
Piranga  rubra  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  21. 

Not  observed  on -the  middle  or  lower  river,  but  noted  on  the 
upper  Orinoco  at  Maipures  from  November  to  February  during  my 
first  expedition. 

This  is  the  only  species  of  tanager  observed  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Orinoco  that  is  not  resident  there. 

PHOENICOTHRAUPIS  RUBICA  RUBICA  (Vieillot). 
Saltator  rubicus  Vieill.  Nouv.  Diet  XIV.  1817.  p.  107. 

Beebe  secured  an  example  of  this  species  at  Guanoco.  It  had 
not  been  previously  recorded  from  the  Orinoco. 

'Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  15. 


l8o  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

TACHYPHONUS  RUFUS  (Boddaert). 
Tanagra  rufa  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  44. 
Tachyphonus  rufus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  21. 

Not  uncommon,  but  usually  a  shy  bird;  found  both  in  the  open 
thinly  timbered  borders  of  the  savannas,  and  in  densely  timbered 
regions. 

The  eye  is  seal  brown;  maxilla  black,  mandible  plumbeous  with 
a  blackish  tip;  feet  black. 

A  female,  apparently  adult,  taken  June  loth  has  a  number  of 
black  feathers  on  the  right  side  of  the  face,  neck  and  breast. 

The  nesting  season  extends  from  March  to  May.  Nests  are 
usually  from  0.6  to  1.5  m.  from  the  ground,  placed  in  clumps  of  low 
trees  or  bushes  in  the  sparsely  wooded  savanna  regions.  Two  eggs 
constitute  a  full  set. 

A  nest  with  two  slightly  incubated  eggs  was  taken  at  Caicara 
April  7th,  1907.  It  was  only  about  60  cm.  from  the  ground  in  a 
clump  of  thorny  palm  stems.  Outwardly,  the  nest  is  composed  of 
coarse,  short  pieces  and  strips  of  soft  inner  bark  from  the  rotting 
stubs  of  some  nearby  trees,  short  strips  torn  from  dead  banana  leaves, 
and  a  few  weed  stems.  Inside  there  is  a  thin  lining  of  plant  tendrils 
and  fine,  black  horse-hair-like  vegetable  fibers.  The  nest  measures : 
outside,  14  cm.  in  diameter  by  7  cm.  in  depth;  inside,  7  cm.  diameter 
by  4.5  cm.  in  depth.1  The  eggs  are  ovate  in  form,  and  measure  17.25  x 
22.25  and  17  x  22.25  mm-  respectively.  One  is  white  with  a  faint  greyish 
wash,  the  other  has  a  mere  suggestion  of  rufous  in  the  ground  color. 
The  markings  are  comparatively  few,  scattered  chiefly  about  the  larger 
end,  and  consist  of  irregularly  rounded  spots  and  dots  of  dark  clove 
brown  overlying  similar  spots  of  pale  lavender.  Many  of  the  larger 
clove  brown  spots  are  surrounded  by  rufous  as  though  the  color  had 
spread  or  "washed." 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  a  male  collected  by  Klages 
at  Ciudad  Bolivar  that  is  just  finishing  the  moult  assuming  the  black 
plumage  of  the  adult,  but  shows  a  few  brown  feathers  scattered 
through  the  plumage ;  one  outer  rectrix  is  black  at  the  base  and  brown 
at  the  tip. 

1A.  nest  of  this  species  taken  on  the  heights  of  Aripo,  Trinidad,  March  24,  1907,  has  been  already 
described  by  the  writer  (Sci.  Bull.  I.  p.  359).  Only  one  of  the  eggs  of  the  set  contained  in  that  nest  was 
saved;  that  is  ovate  in  form  and  measures  24.5  x  18.5  mm.  It  is  white  with  a  faint  russet  wash,  marked 
with  a  few  irregular  spots  and  small  dots  of  a  blackish  clove  brown;  there  are  also  indications  of  a  few 
underlying  lavender  markings. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  l8l 

TACHYPHONUS  LUCTUOSUS  Lafresnaye  &  D'Orbigny. 

Tachyphonus  luctuosus  Lafr.  &  D'Orb.,   Syn.  Av.  in  Mag.  Zool.  VII. 

1837.     p.  29;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  21. 

This  species  was  not  seen  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  Beebe  took 
specimens  at  Guanoco  in  the  delta  region  and  I  collected  a  single 
example  May  26,  1907,  at  La  Cascabel  on  the  river  San  Feliz  near  its 
junction  with  the  Cuchivero  River. 

The  Tring  Museum  received  specimens  from  Suapure,  La  Pri- 
cion,  Nicare  and  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  collected  on 
the  Caura  River  by  Klages  at  El  Llagual  in  March,  Suapure  in  Janu- 
ary and  La  Union  in  October. 

In  the  La  Cascabel  specimen,  an  adult  male,  the  eye  was  seal 
brown ;  bill  above  black,  sides  of  mandible  slate  grey,  center  of  ridge  of 
gonys  black ;  feet  slate  grey. 

TACHYPHQNUS  CRISTATUS  CRISTATELLUS  Sclater. 
Tachyphonus  cristatellns  Sclater.     Cat.  Am.  Birds.   1867.  p.  86  (Type, 

Bogota). 

Tachyphonus  cristatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  22. 
Tachyphonus   cristatus   cristatellus   Hellmayr,    Novit.   Zool.   XII.    1905. 

P-  275- 

The  Tring  Museum  received  specimens  collected  on  the  Caura 
River  from  both  Andre  and  Klages;  and  in  the  American  Museum 
collection  is  a  series  collected  by  Klages  at  Suapure,  and  at  La 
Union  on  the  Caura  River  during  the  months  of  September,  October 
and  February.  This  series  includes  both  males  and  females  in  adult 
plumage,  and  immature  specimens  in  transitional  plumage.  A 
"female"  taken  at  Suapure,  September  loth,  is  brownish  olive  above, 
washed  with  russet  especially  posteriorly,  the  rump  being  nearly  pure 
russet ;  forehead  and  sides  of  crown  greyish  olive,  centre  of  crown 
russet;  wings  and  tail  blackish;  quills  edged  with  mummy  brown; 
sides  of  face  olive  but  feathers  of  lores  and  auriculars  with  faint  buffy. 
shaft  lines ;  below,  raw  sienna  with  buffy  throat  and  under  tail  coverts 
ochraceous.  An  immature  male  taken  at  the  same  point  is  just 
assuming  the  plumage  of  the  adult.  The  general  color  both  above 
and  below  is  black  but  interspersed  with  brownish  olive  feathers  on 
the  back  and  a  few  ochraceous  ones  below.  The  rectrices  are  all 


l82  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

brown  as  in  the  female;  in  the  wings  the  outer  four  primaries  are 
brownish  black,  edged  with  olive,  the  succeeding  five  are  black  as  in 
the  adult  male.  In  the  left  wing  the  outermost  secondary  is  black, 
the  next  two  are  brown,  then  a  black  one  and  the  remainder  brown ; 
in  the  right  wing  the  primaries  are  as  in  the  left  one,  but  the  outer 
five  secondaries  are  brown  while  the  remainder  are  black.  The 
crown  is  chiefly  olive-grey  with  scattering  orange-red  feathers;  the 
lateral  and  anterior  border  of  buff  is  quite  distinct. 

TACHYPHONUS  CRISTATUS  INTERCEDENS  Berlepsch. 
Tachyphonus  intercedens  Berlepsch,  Ibis.    1880.  p.   113. 
T[achyphonus]   cristatus  intercedens  Hellmayr  Novit.  Zool.  XII.   1905. 

275- 

The  type  of  this  species,  according  to  Hellmayr   (1.  c.),  is  of  the 

"Orinoco"  make,  and  the  Orinoco  Delta  is  included  by  that  writer  in 
the  habitat  of  this  race. 

TACHYPHONUS  SURINAMUS  SURINAMUS  (Linnaeus). 
Turdus  surinamus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  297. 
Tachyphonus  surinamus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  22. 
T[achyphonus]    s[urinamus]    surinamus   Hellmayr,   Novit.   Zool.   XIII. 

1906.  p.  358  (Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta). 

This  species  has  been  recorded  from  Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco 
Delta,  and  also  from  various  points  on  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert. 

There  are  two  specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collected  by 
Klages  at  Suapure,  one  in  September,  the  other  in  November.  They 
agree  exactly  with  Cayenne  examples. 

HEMITHRAUPIS  FLAVICOLLIS  AURIGULARIS  Cherrie. 
Nemosia  flavicollis  Vieill.  Nouv.  Diet.  XXII.  1818.  p.  491 ;  Berlepsch  £ 

Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.   1902.  22.    (Suapure  and  Nicare,  Caura 

River,  Orinoco  region). 
N[emosia]   flavicollis  flavicollis  Hellmayr,   Novit.   Zool.   XIV.    1907.  p. 

351   (Suapure  and  Nicare,  Caura  River). 
Hemithraupis  flavicollis  Sharpe,  Hand  List,  V.  1909.  p.  597. 
Hemithraupis  flavicollis  aurigularis  Cherrie,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist. 

(Suapure,  Caura  River,  Orinoco  region). 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  collected  by 
Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River  in  February,  September  and 
November. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  183 

A  male  in  that  collection  taken  September  9,  1901,  is  in  the  plumage 
of  the  female. 

The  adult  males  from  the  Caura  River  differ  from  "Brazil"  and 
"Bahia"  skins,  in  the  same  collection,  in  having  the  white  feathers  of  the 
upper  breast  and  sides  prominently  marked  with  subapical  v-shaped  black 
bars.  A  specimen  from  Jungus,  Bolivia,  agrees  in  this  respect.  The 
"Brazil"  and  "Bahia"  skins  have  the  entire  breast  and  belly  strongly 
washed  with  pale  lemon  or  sulphur  yellow,  the  subapical  bands  dusky, 
and  not  at  all  prominent.  Above,  these  birds  have  a  brownish  wash 
while  the  Suapure  birds  have  a  faint  bronzy  green  wash  and  are  also 
noticeably  smaller. 

Not  noted  on  the  Orinoco  but  recorded  from  its  tributary,  the 
Caura  River,  from  Suapure  and  Nicare,  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

THLYPOPSIS  SORDIDA  SORDIDA   (Lafresnaye  &  D'Orbigny). 

Nemosia  sordida  Lafr.  &  D'Orb.,  Syn.  Av.  I.  1837.  p.  28. 

Thlypopsis  sordida  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  23. 

Thlypopsis  sordida  sordida  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.   1906.  p.  311. 

Rare ;  six  specimens  collected  for  the  Tring  Museum  during  the 
months  from  August  to  January,  at  Capuchin,  El  Fraile  and  Alta- 
gracia;  points  on  the  middle  Orinoco  above  Ciuclad  Bolivar  and  below 
the  falls  of  Atures.  Hellmayr  in  his  paper  on  the  types  of  little 
known  species  of  birds1  gives  a  list  of  localities  from  which  specimens 
have  been  secured  including  points  in  Bolivia.  Brazil,  Venezuela  and 
Eastern  Ecuador. 

CISSOPIS  LEVERIANA   (Gmelin). 

Lanius  leverianus  /Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  302. 
Cissopis  leveriana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  24. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper  but  reported  in  the  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  paper  as  taken  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

In  the  American   Museum   Collection    is   a   specimen   from   Suapure 
(Caura  River),  received  from  Klages. 

SCHISTOCHLAMYS  ATRA  (Gmelin). 

Tanagra  atra  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  898. 
Schistochlamys  atra  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  24. 


'Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  3". 


184  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

On  my  first  Orinoco  expedition,  this  species  was  observed  at  and 
above  the  falls  of  Atures  only,  from  which  point  onward  it  was  not 
uncommon,  but  in  April,  1907,  examples  were  collected  at  Agua 
Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar. 

An  immature  male  in  transitional  plumage,  just  assuming  the 
nuptial  dress,  is  dark  olive  green  above  with  patches  of  grey  here  and 
there  where  the  nuptial  dress  is  developing.  There  are  many  black 
feathers  in  forehead  and  fore  part  of  crown,  and  a  few  grey  ones  on 
top  of  head,  Wing-coverts  olive  green  brighter  than  the  back;  wing- 
and  tail-quills  blackish  brown  edged  with  yellowish  olive.  Sides 
of  face  and  throat  black  mottled  with  olive  yellow;  breast,  sides  and 
flanks  grey  slightly  mottled  with  olive  yellow;  centre  of  abdomen 
and  under  tail  coverts  pale  olive  yellow. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  chestnut  brown ;  bill  plumbeous  grey 
basally  and  forward  to  slightly  beyond  the  nostrils,  distally  black;  feet 
-slate  grey.  t  . 

FRINGILLIDAE— THE  GROSBEAKS,  FINCHES,  BUNTINGS 
AND  SPARROWS. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper  included  twenty-two  species  and 
subspecies  pertaining  to  this  family.  Of  that  number  the  writer 
had  at  that  time  collected  nineteen.  The  present  paper  includes  twenty- 
six  species  and  subspecies. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Dickcissel,  Spiza  americana,  all  are  resi- 
dent forms  although  there  seems  to  be  more  or  less  local  migration 
controlled  by  the  local  food  supply.  Several  of  the  species  congre- 
gate in  flocks  at  the  close  of  the  breeding  season.  Some  of  the  flocks  are 
composed  of  a  single  species,  while  others  will  be  made  up  of  several 
species.  This  is  particularly  to  be  noted  among  members  of  the  genus 
Sporophila. 

Quite  a  number  of  species  are  habitually  trapped  and  kept  as  cage 
birds,  and  nearly  all  seem  to  thrive  in  confinement. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  FRINGILLIDAE. 

a.     Plumage  more  or  less  streaked  above  or  below,  or  both. 

b.     Tail  feathers  not  acuminate,  or  if  acuminate  then  tail  is  shorter  than 
wing. 

c.     Length  150  mm.  or  more,  wing  more  than  85  mm Saltalor  (in  part) 

c'.    Length  less  than  150  mm.  and  wing  not  more  than  85  mm. 

d.  Back  not  distinctly  striated  and  no  olive  yellow  edges  to  wing  and 
tail  quills  (faint  dusky  brownish  shaft  streaks  in  the  olive-brown 
feathers  of  the  back  of  immature  or  female  Sicalis  columbiana  are 
in  combination  with  olive-yellow  edges  to  wing  and  tail  feathers'). 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 


185 


Without  olive-yellow  wing  and  tail  edgings. 

/.  Entire  upper  parts  a  nearly  uniform  brownish  grey;  belly  and 
under  tail-coverts  white 

/'.  Upper  parts,  head  and  back,  dark  olive  brown,  wings  and  tail 
black,  wing-coverts  and  tertials  edged  on  outer  webs  with  raw 
umber;  belly  whitish  under  tail-coverts  brownish  buff  (wood 
brown);  or  immature  males  assuming  adult  plumage,  under 
tail  coverts  mixed  with  black  feathers  with  whitish  tips 

«'.    Olive  yellow  edgings  to  wings  and  tail 

d'.    Back  distinctly  striated. 

g.     Head   not   striated;    shoulders,   lesser  and  median  wing- 
coverts  chestnut 

g'.    Head  striated,  no  chestnut  wing  coverts. 

h.     Wing  short  and  rounded,  outer  primary  (9th)   shorter 

than  yth 

h'.    Wing  more  pointedandouterprimarylongerthanthevth. 
i.     Inner  secondaries  elongated  reaching  nearly  to  tips  of 
primaries . 

i'.    Inner  secondaries  and  tertials  not  elongated 

b'.  Tail-feathers  acuminate  and  tail  longer  than  wing 

.    Plumage  not  striated,  either  above  or  below. 

6.     Having  well  developed  superciliary  stripe  yellowish,  white  or  grey. 
c.     Well  developed  black  or  blackish  stripes  on  sides  of  crown  extend- 
ing from  the  bill  to  the  nape. 

d.     Narrow  black  band  across  the  breast 

d'.    No  dark  band  across  the  breast 

c'.    No  lateral  stripes  on  crown 

6'.     No  superciliary  stripe. 

c.     Depth  of  bill  at  base  equal  to  distance  from  the  angle  of  rictus  to 

tip  of  bill 

c'.    Depth  of  bill  at  base  less  than  distance  from  angle  of  the  rictus  to 

tip  of  bill. 
d .     Glossy  blue  black  both  above  and  below 

d'     Not  blue  black  both  above  and  below. 

e.     A  partially  concealed  crown-patch  of  bright  scarlet 

e'.    No  crown-patch. 

/.     Outer  (9th)  primary  longer  than  7th. 

g.     A  white   patch   at   base  of  outer  webs  of   5th,  6th  and 

7th  primaries  extending  beyond  tips  of  coverts 
H.     Under  parts  yellow 

h'.    Under  parts  white 

g'.    No  white  patch  at  base  of  outer  webs  of  sth,  6th  and  7th 

primaries 

h.     Inner  webs  of  wing-quills   broadly   edged   with    yellow 
similar  to  under  wing-coverts;  size  larger,  wing  more 

than  65  mm 

h'.    Inner  webs  of  wing-quills  narrowly  edged  with   pale 

yellowish;  smaller,  wing  less  than  65  mm 

/'.    Outer  primary  shorter  than  the  6th. 
g.    Wing  more  than  65  mm. 

h.    Wing-tip  equal  to  or  longer  than  tarsus 

h'.    Wing-tip  not  equal  to  tarsus. 

i.     Under  parts  white,  throat  red  (adult)  or  buff  (immature) 


Caryphospingus  (female  and 
young). 


Volatinia  (females  and 
young). 

Sicalis  (female  and  im- 
mature male). 


Spit 


Myospiza. 

Sicalis    (immature    and 

females). 
Sicalis  (adults). 
Emberizoides  (one  species). 


Arremon. 

Arremonops. 

Saltalor. 


Oryzoborus. 


Volatinia  jacarini  splendens 
(adult  males). 


Coryphospingus  pileatus 
(adult  male). 


Aslragalinus  psallria  colu 

bianus. 
Dolospingus  nuchalis. 

Sicalis  (adults.) 


Sicalis  flaveola. 
Sicalis  columbiana. 


Cyanocompsa  rolhtchi'di 
Paroaria  nigrogenys. 


'Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XII.  1905.  p.  277. 


l86  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

i'.    Under  parts  not  white. 

j.     Throat  white Pilylus  grossus. 

j'.    Throat  black. 

k.     Under  wing-coverts  yellow Caryothraustes      canadensis 

canadetosis. 

k'.    Under  wing  coverts  rose  red Periporphyrus  eryihromelas. 

g'.    Wing  not  over  65mm.,  usually  less. 

h.     Culmen  not  strongly  convex;  maxillary  tomia  nearly 
straight  but  with  basal  portion  strongly  and  abruptly 

deflected Tiaris  fuliginosa. 

h'.    Culmen  distinctly  strongly  convex;  maxillary  tomia  not 

abruptly  deflected  at  base Sporophila. 

i.     More  or  less  black  on  head. 
j.     Broad  white  cheek  stripe. 

k.     Lower  throat  white,  mottled  with  black Sporophila  bouvronides. 

k'.    Lower  throat  not  mottled  with  black Sporophila  lineola. 

j'.     No  white  cheek  stripe,  entire  sides  of  head,  throat 

and  upper  breast  black Sporophila   gulturalis. 

i'.    No  black  on  head. 

j.     Under  parts  chestnut Sporophila  minuta  minuta. 

j'.    Under  parts  not  chestnut. 

k.     Throat  slate  grey,  no  white  on  cheeks  or  chin  . .  .      Sporophila  grisea  grisea. 
k'.    Throat  ash  grey,  chin  and  base  of  cheeks  white   .     Sporophila    plumbea    whit" 

ley  ana. 

PITVLUS  GROSSUS  (Linnaeus). 

Loxia  grossus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  307. 
Pitylus  grossus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  24. 

The  writer  did  not  meet  with  this  species  on  the  Orinoco  proper, 
but  specimens  were  collected  for  the  Tring  Museum  on  the  Caura 
River  at  Suapure,  Nicare  and  La  Pricion;  and  Klages  sent  specimens 
to  the  American  Museum  that  were  collected  at  La  Union  during 
September,  October  "and  January. 

CYANOCOMPSA  ROTHSCHILDI  (Bartlett). 

Guiraca  rothschildi  E.  Bartl.,  Ann.  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.     1890.  p.  168;  Hell- 

mayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XII.   1905.  p.  277. 
Guiraca  cayanea  rothschildi  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  25. 

This  species  was  seen  on  the  upper  Orinoco  at  Munduapo  during 
February,  1899.  It  has  not  been  seen  by  the  writer  on  subsequent 
expeditions.  Specimens  were  collected  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura 
River  by  Andre. 

ORYZOBORUS  CRASSIROSTRIS   (Gmelin). 

Loxia  crassirostris  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  862. 
Oryzoborus  crassirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  25. 
Native  name  Pico  de  plata  grande. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  187 

Xot  common  along  the  Orinoco  proper.  It  was  observed,  however, 
at  Caicara  and  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  being  found  in  the  tangle  of 
low  shrubs  that  skirted  the  belt  of  heavy  timber  which  marked  the 
course  of  Quiribana  Creek.  On  the  San  Feliz  River,  near  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Cuchivero  this  species  was,  however,  not  uncommon 
during  my  visit  there  in  May  of  1907.  Here  it  frequented  the  same 
character  of  locality  as  that  about  Quiribana  de  Caicara. 

Young  males  resemble  the  females.  One  taken  at  Las  Guacas, 
on  the  San  Feliz  River,  May  i8th,  is  in  transitional  plumage,  just 
assuming  that  of  the  adult  male.  In  the  wings  the  Qth,  8th  and  5th 
primaries  are  new,  the  others  are  in  the  dusky  brown  of  the  female, 
the  three  outermost  secondaries  are  old  succeeded  by  three  new  ones 
which  are  followed  by  a  single  brown  quill  and  lastly  two  more  new 
black  quills.  There  are  scattering  black  feathers  on  the  back  of  the 
neck  and  top  of  the  head  and  a  few  on  the  throat.  The  longest  of  the 
under  tail-coverts  are  black. 

ORYZOBORUS  ANGOLENSIS  (Linnaeus). 

Loxia  angolensis  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  303. 
Oryzoborus  angolensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  25. 

Native  name  Pico  de  plata,  pico  negro. 

Not  common.  Noted  at  Altagracia,  Caicara,  and  Quiribana  de 
Caicara  along  the  Orinoco,  and  on  the  San  Feliz  River  near  its  mouth. 
Like  the  preceding  species  the  thickets  of  low  shrubs  and  bushes 
bordering  heavy  timber  were  its  favorite  haunts.  I  found  it  very 
wary  and  difficult  to  approach.  A  young  male  just  completing  the 
moult  in  assuming  the  plumage  of  the  adult  male,  shows  many  ochra- 
ceous  buff  feathers  on  the  belly  mixed  with  the  new  chestnut  ones, 
while  on  the  back  are  scattering  feathers  of  olive  brown  mixed  with 
the  new  black  ones. 

SPOROPHILA  GRISEA  GRISEA   (Gmelin). 

Loxia  grisea  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  857. 
Sporophila  grisea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  25. 

Native  name  Pico  de  plata  comun.  Common  from  the  delta  region 
all  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river  to  and  beyond  the  falls  of 
Maipures  on  the  upper  river. 

Male  birds  in  life  have  the  eye  varying  in  color  (probably  with 
age)  from  a  dark  sepia  brown  to  a  seal  brown;  bill  in  adults,  pale 


l88  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

whitish  or  flesh  color,  in  immature  birds,  dusky  blackish;  feet  slaty. 
Females  have  the  eye  dark  sepia  brown ;  bill  blackish ;  feet  dusky  slate 
color. 

Young  males  resemble  the  female,  and  mate  and  breed  before  ac- 
quiring the  plumage  of  the  adult. 

A  nest  with  three  fresh  eggs  was  taken  at  Caicara  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1907.  The  nest  is  a  frail,  thin-walled  cup  6.5  cm.  in  diameter 
by  4  cm.  in  depth  outside  and  5  cm.  in  diameter  by  3.5  cm.  in  depth 
inside.  It  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  fine  rootlets,  wood-brown 
in  color,  with  a  scant  inner  lining  of  black  horse-hair-like  vegetable 
fibres.  The  side  walls  and  bottom  of  the  nest  are  so  thin  and  were  so 
loosely  put  together  that  the  eggs  were  readily  visible  from  below. 
The  nest  was  about  3.5  m.  from  the  ground,  near  the  extreme  tip  of 
one  of  the  topmost  branches  of  a  small  tree,  the  trunk  and  branches 
of  which  were  thickly  studded  with  long  sharp  thorns.  It  was  loosely 
set  on  a  small  horizontal  fork.  No  effort  seemed  to  have  been  made 
toward  "tieing"  it  to  its  support. 

The  eggs  approach  elliptical  ovate  in  form.  The  ground  color 
is  a  dull  greyish  white.  There  is  considerable  variation  in  the 
amount  and  the  col^r  of  the  markings.  One  of  the  set  is  thickly  and 
nearly  uniformly  covered  over  the  entire  surface  with  small  specks 
and  dots  of  vinaceous  cinnamon.  In  addition  there  are  some  overly- 
ing spots  and  blotches  of  hazel  brown,  chiefly  about  the  larger  end. 
The  other  two  eggs  of  the  set  are  much  less  speckled  although  there 
is  an  abundance  of  minute  dots  of  pale  vinaceous  cinnamon,  the  larger 
spots  and  blotches  being  about  as  evenly  distributed  as  those  in  the 
egg  first  described,  but  nearer  a  pale  drab  brown  than  a  hazel ;  in  addi- 
tion there  are  a  few  superimposed  irregular  shaped  markings  of  dark 
seal  brown  (almost  black)  about  the  larger  end. 

On  the  i8th  of  June  a  nest  with  three  eggs  was  collected,  also 
at  Caicara.  This  nest  was  about  2.7  m.  up,  between  the  thorns  and 
thrust  against  the  stem  of  a  small  thorny  palm.  It  is  less  symmetri- 
cal in  its  outline,  the  walls  are  somewhat  thicker  and  composed  of 
coarser  materials,  so  loosely  woven  that  the  eggs  could  be  seen  through 
the  nest  bottom.  There  is  no  lining  of  black,  hair-like  vegetable 
fibres,  as  in  the  other  nests.  Three  eggs  were  found  in  this  nest, 
but  owing  to  their  advanced  state  of  incubation  only  two  were  saved. 
They  are  in  every  way  similar  in  color  and  markings  to  the  eggs  of 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  189 

the  set  described  above,  but  are  more  nearly  ovate  in  shape.      They 
measure  17.5  x  13.25  and  17.75  x  13.25  mm.  respectively. 

SPOROPHILA  PLUMBEA  WHITELEYANA  (Sharpe). 

Spermophila  whiteleyana  Sharpe,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  XII.  1888.  p.  98. 
Sporophila  plumbea  whiteleyana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  26. 

Abundant  at  Altagracia,  midway  between  Ciudad  Bolivar  and 
Caicara,  from  November  to  February,  1897-8,  when  a  good  series  was 
collected  and  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum.  During  my  first  Orinoco 
expedition  the  species  was  not  observed  at  any  other  points  along  the 
river,  and  none  have  been  secured  on  succeeding  expeditions. 

SPOROPHILA  MINUTA  MINUTA  (Linnaeus). 
Loxia  minuta  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  176. 
Sporophila  minuta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  26. 

Common  at  all  points  visited  along  the  Orinoco  and  abundant 
at  Altagracia  and  at  Caicara  from  January  to  March  during  which 
months  the  species  was  usually  observed  in  small  flocks,  often  in  com- 
pany with  other  members  of  the  genus  Sporophila*  An  adult  male  taken 
May  17,  1907,  on  the  San  Feliz  River  (near  the  river  Cuchivero)  had 
the  eyes  seal  brown;  bill  dusky  blackish;  feet  dusky  slate. 

SPOROPHILA  LINEOLA  (Linnaeus). 
Loxia  lineola  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10  I.  1758.  p.  174. 
Sporophila  lineola  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  26. 

Messrs.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  identify  three  specimens  collected 
by  the  writer  at  Caicara  in  1898  as  true  5.  lineola;  and  specimens  sent 
from  Ciudad  Bolivar,  by  Klages  as  S.  lineola  trinitatis.1  No  specimens 
of  this  species  have  been  noted  on  more  recent  expeditions. 

SPOROPHILA  BOUVRONIDES  (Lesson). 

Pyrrhula  bouvronides  Lesson,  Traite  d'Orn.  1831.  p.  450  (no  locality). 
Spermophila  bouvronides  Leotaud,  Ois.  Trinidad  1866.  p.  318  (Trinidad). 
Spermophila  ocellata  Sclater  &  Salvin,  P.  Z.  S.  1866.  p.  181. 
S[permophila]  trinitatis  Sharpe,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  XII.  1888.  p.  132 

(Trinidad). 
Sporophila    lineola    trinitatis    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    Novit.    Zool.    IX. 

1902.  p.  26. 

"The  proper  name  for  this  form  as  pointed  out  by  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  58.  is 
Sporophila  bouvronides  (Less.).  See  also  Hellmayr.  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.  1907.  p.  8. 


IQO       '     BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Sporophila  bonvronides  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  58 ;  idem. 

XIV.  1907.  p.  8. 

This  species  is  nowhere  common,  but  seems  to  be  widely  dis- 
tributed on  the  Orinoco,  where  it  was  noted  and  collected  from  Las 
Barrancas  in  the  delta  region  and  at  various  other  points  up  as  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Apure  River.  Of  four  birds  taken  at  Caicara, 
three  show  traces  of  a  white  spot  on  the  forehead  represented  by  a 
number  ai  crown  feathers  with  diamond-shaped  median  spots.  No 
trace  of  a  white  crown  spot  was  seen  in  other  specimens  examined. 

Birds  of  this  species  seem  to  have  a  preference  for  open  spaces  in 
the  forest  rather  than  the  open  savanna  regions. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  slate  black. 

SPOROPHILA  GUTTURALIS  GUTTURALIS  (Lichtenstein). 
Fringilla  gutturalis  Licht.,  Verz.  Doubl.  1823.  p.  26. 
Sporophila  gutturalis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  26. 

Found  all  along  the  river  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  above  the  falls, 
but  nowhere  common. 

In  fresh  birds,  adult  males,  the  eye  is  seal  brown;  bill  plum- 
beous ;  feet  dusky  grey. 

DOLOSPINGUS    NUCHALIS  Elliot. 

Dolospingus  nuchalis  Elliot,  Ibis  1871.  p.  402. 

The  type  of  this  interesting  species,  in  the  American  Museum  col- 
lection, is  still  the  only  known  example. 

VOLATINIA  JACARINI   SPLENDENS    (Vieillot). 

Fringilla  splendent  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XII.  1817.  p.  173. 
Volatinia  jacarina  splendens  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  27. 

Common  both  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Caicara.  Frequents  bor- 
ders of  thickets  on  the  open  savanna. 

On  the  I4th  of  June,  at  Caicara,  a  nest  of  this  species  was  found 
containing  three  eggs,  all  of  them  pipped.  The  nest  was  in  a  tuft  of 
grass,  about  15  cm.  from  the  ground,  concealed  by  overhanging 
bushes.  The  eggs  are  pale  bluish  white,  marked  all  over,  but  most 
thickly  about  the  larger  end,  with  reddish  chestnut  spots.  The  one 
egg  saved  measured  16.75  x  I2-5  mm. 

Young  males  resemble  the  females.  One  of  the  birds  taken  at 
Caicara  was  in  transitional  plumage,  from  that  of  the  female  to  that  of 
the  adult  male. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  191 

ASTRAGALINUS  PSAi/TRiA  coLUMBiANus  (Laf  resnaye) . 
Chrysomitris  columbiana  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  1843.  P-  292- 
Spinus  mexicanus  columbianus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  27. 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  a  fair  series,  representing 
birds  in  adult  and  in  immature  plumages,  was  collected,  partly  at 
Altagracia  and  partly  at  Caicara.  Specimens  were  collected  in  De- 
cember, February,  March  and  June.  Only  a  single  example  was 
secured  on  the  two  recent  expeditions. 

SICALIS  FLAVEOLA  (Linnaeus). 

Fringilla  flavcola  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  321. 
Sycalis  flaveola  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  27. 

Native  name  Arrocero  grande.  Field  observations  and  specimens 
before  me  leave  no  doubt  that  the  adult  female  of  this  species  is  like 
the  adult  male.  A  female  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  loth,  can 
be  distinguished  from  the  male  taken  at  the  same  place  and  date  only 
by  the  presence  of  faint  dusky  shaft  streaks  in  the  feathers  of  the 
back.  But  three  of  the  apparently  adult  males  taken  at  Caicara  show 
the  same  dusky  streaks  on  the  back,  so  that  it  is  not  improbable  that 
with  age  the  adult  males  and  females  will  be  absolutely  indistinguish- 
able. The  series  before  me  also  shows  that  breeding  begins  before 
the  females  have  attained  the  adult  plumage.  A  female  taken  June 
I4th  was  brooding  (as  indicated  by  the  condition  of  the  abdomen). 
This  bird  is  a  rather  light  yellowish  olive-green  above.  The  feathers 
of  the  back  are  marked  with  dusky  brownish  streaks,  top  of  head 
greyish  olive  with  dusky  shaft  streaks;  wing-coverts  like  the  back; 
quills  and  rectrices  dusky  brownish,  edged  with  the  color  of  the  back. 
Lores  and  side  of  face  greyish,  interspersed  with  wax  yellow  feathers; 
throat  and  upper  breast  wax  yellow  forming  a  broad  band ;  breast  and 
abdomen  greyish  white,  palest  on  abdomen  where  there  are  a  few 
canary  yellow  feathers.  Under  tail-coverts  canary  yellow ;  axillaries 
and  under  wing-coverts  lemon  yellow ;  inner  edges  of  quills  pale  yel- 
low. 

In  1905  a.  nest  of  this  species,  found  May  25th,  occupied  a  deserted 
woodpecker's  hole  at  the  top  of  a  dead  palm  stub  about  7.6  m. 
from  the  ground.  A  little  dead  grass  had  been  taken  in  as  nesting 
material.  Both  parents  were  present,  and  indistinguishable  in  color, 
one  from  the  other.  The  male  was  collected  (No.  13,732,  Geo.  K. 
Cherrie,  Caicara,  Venezuela).  Only  one  egg,  perfectly  fresh,  was  found 


IQ2  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

in  the  nest.  It  is  ovate  in  form,  pale  bluish  white  in  color,  thickly 
marked  all  over  with  specks  and  spots  varying  in  color  from  clove  brown 
to  olive  brown,  the  lighter  colors  underlying  the  darker  markings.  The 
egg  measures  19.5  by  15  mm. 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  I  found  a  nest  of  this 
species  which  from  its  history  is  worth  recording.  This  nest  was 
found  at  Caicara,  June  27,  1898.  It  was  a  nest  within  a  nest,  the 
original  builders  having  been  Orioles  (Icterus  xanthornus],  and  was 
first  discovered  the  last  of  April,  at  that  time  new,  and  containing 
young  Orioles.  The  entrance  then  was  at  the  top  as  is  ordinary. 
After  the  Orioles  left  the  nest  it  evidently  whipped  about  in  sunshine 
and  rain  and  the  neck  or  entrance  dried  and  drew  together  and  the 
nest  came  to  look  old  and  weather  worn.  But  this  apparently  suited 
the  new  house  hunters  who  made  a  neat  small  round  hole  in  the  body 
of  the  nest  and  carried  in  some  fine  soft  grass  and  woody  hair-like 
fibres  as  a  nest  lining.  The  remodelled  nest  contained  three  fresh 
eggs,  which  was  evidently  a  full  set,  for  the  female  was  shot  as  she 
left  the  nest  and  dissection  proved  that  no  more  eggs  would  have  been 
laid.  The  nest  was  about  2.5  m.  from  the  ground.  "The  eggs 
resemble  those  of  a  sparrow,  being  white,  profusely  covered  with  brown, 
and  a  few  underlying  pale  gray  spots,  the  spots  almost  entirely 
covering  the  thick  end.  They  measure  20.5x14.5;  21.1x14.5  and 
2 1. 1  x  14.3  mm.  and  are  rather  pointed  ovate.1" 

In  1907  additional  nests  and  eggs  were  found,  and  notes  relative  to 
the  nesting  habits  of  this  species  were  made  as  follows: 

A  set  of  three  partially  incubated  eggs,  collected  at  Caicara,  June 
6th,  were  taken  from  a  nest  with  a  story.  One  day  toward  the  end 
of  May  while  passing  under  the  boughs  of  a  tree  containing  a  colony 
of  the  yellow-rumped  hang-nest  (Cacicus  cela),  a  nest  was  picked  up 
that  had  been  broken  away  from  its  fellows  and  had  fallen  to  the 
ground.  It  was  carried  for  a  short  distance  and  then  carelessly 
tossed  among  the  branches  of  a  tree,  where  it  lodged.  Passing  that 
way  some  days  later  I  was  surprised  to  see  a  yellow  finch  fly  from 
the  old  nest.  An  examination  showed  that  a  lining  of  soft,  dry 
grasses  had  been  taken  in  and  that  the  old  nest  now  sheltered  new 
bird  tenants. 

The  eggs  found  in  this  nest  are  similar  in  color  to  those  described 


'Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  27. 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  193 

above.  They  are  ovate,  one  somewhat  elongate,  and  measure 
19.5  x  14.75,  19-5  x  :4-75  and  21.5  x  14.25  mm.  respectively. 

Another  set  of  eggs  collected  July  ist,  also  at  Caicara,  were 
taken  from  a  nest  found  at  the  bottom  of  a  natural  cavity  in  a  large 
tree.  The  nest  body  is  composed  of  strips  of  soft  inner  bark  mixed 
here  and  there  with  tufts  of  cotton,  while  in  the  lining  there  is  a  con- 
siderable quantiy  of  horse-hair-like  vegetable  fibres,  the  whole  com- 
pactly woven  into  a  cup  that  measures  4  cm.  in  depth  by  6  cm.  in  diameter 
inside. 

The  eggs  taken  with  this  nest  were  four  in  number  and  perfectly 
fresh.  One  is  similar  in  every  way  to  other  examples  seen  and 
described,  but  the  remaining  three  are  so  thickly  and  uniformly 
speckled  over  the  entire  surface  with  brown  of  a  shade  varying  from 
an  olive  to  a  clove  brown  as  almost  to  conceal  the  whitish  ground 
color.  They  measure  respectively  19.5  x  14,  19.5  x  14.5,  19.75  x  J5 
and  20.25  x  J4-5  mm. 

SICALIS  COLUMBIANA  COLUMBIANA  Cabanis. 

Sycalis  columbiana  Cab.,  Mus.  Hein.  I.   1850.  p.   147;  Berlepsch,  Ibis, 
1884.     p.  433;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  28. 

Native  name  Arrocero  pequena.  Common,  frequenting  the  bor- 
ders of  ponds  and  streams  and  keeping  together  in  small  flocks, 
except  during  the  nesting  season.  An  adult  female  taken  April  5th 
had  but  one  foot;  the  other,  having  been  amputated  just  below  the 
heel,  had  healed  perfectly. 

An  adult  female  (No.  13,943  Cherrie  Coll.  Caicara,  June 
1 9th),  is  dusky  olive  brown  above  with  faint  shaft  lines  to  the  back 
feathers ;  head  lighter  brown ;  wing-coverts  like  the  back.  Edges  of  outer 
coverts  olive  green.  Quills  and  tail-feathers  dusky  brown,  edged  with 
olive  yellowish  on  outer  webs-.  Below,  grayish  brown,  paler  on  chin 
and  upper  throat  and  whitish  in  centre  of  belly;  faint  dusky  shaft 
streaks  on  breast  and  flanks.  Under  tail-coverts'  pale  yellowish. 
Axillaries  pale  yellowish.  Under  wing-coverts  dusky  olive  yellow. 

An  immature  male  taken  May  29th  resembles  the  female  but  is 
appreciably  darker,  richer  colored  above,  below  a  trifle  lighter,  with 
the  dusky  shaft  streaks  on  the  breast  more  prominent.  There  are  a 
few  yellowish  feathers  about  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  A  second 
immature  male  taken  June  Hth  has  the  upper  parts  like  the  female  but 
with  brighter  olive  yellow  edgings  to  wing  quills  and  rectrices. 


194  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Cheeks  pale  brownish,  separated  from  the  whitish  chin  and  throat  by 
a  narrow  dusky  brownish  submalar  streak,  sides  of  breast  brownish, 
paler  and  inclined  to  buffy  in  centre  of  breast.  Belly  whitish,  flanks 
buffy  yellowish  brown  with  dusky  shaft  streaks.  Under  tail-coverts  pale 
yellow. 

A  specimen  in  Juvenal  plumage,  taken  May  I7th,  in  company 
with  both  parents,  which  were  also  collected,  is  olive  brown  above  and 
wood  brown  below  with  paler  throat  and  crissum ;  the  wing  and  tail 
quills  are  similar  to  those  of  the  adult  female  but  with  the  olive  yel- 
low quill  edgings  less  pronounced. 

The  parent  birds  taken  with  the  young  described  above  indicate 
that  the  males  begin  breeding  before  having  acquired  the  fully  adult 
dress.  The  male  in  this  case  is  similar  to  those  described  above  as 
"immature"  and  is  in  what  might  be  more  specifically  termed  the  first 
nuptial  plumage. 

Four  nests  of  this  species  were  found  on  the  1905  expedition. 
One,  which  was  not  taken  nor  the  eggs  secured,  was  placed  in  the  hol- 
low of  a  horizontal  limb  about  4.5  m.  from  the  ground.  The  second, 
taken  June  i/th,  was  in  a  sand  bank  in  an  old  nest-hole  of  the  large 
Kingfisher,  Megaceryle  torquata,  45.7  cm.  back  from  the  mouth.  The  nest, 
which  was  rather  deeply  cup-shaped,  was  embedded  in  the  sand  as  though 
a  hole  had  been  scratched  for  its  reception.  Inside  it  measured 
2.2  cm.  deep  by  2.9  cm.  in  diameter.  It  is  constructed  entirely  of 
fine  rootlets  and  dried  grass-stems.  The  four  fresh  eggs  found  in 
this  nest  are  short  ovate  in  form  and  measure  16.5x13.5,  17x13.5 
and  17  x  13  and  17  x  13  mm.  respectively.  They  are  pale  nile  blue 
speckled  with  vandyke  and  seal  brown,  the  spots  forming  a  ring  about 
the  larger  end. 

The  third  nest  was  found  June  I7th.  This  was  placed  about  91.5 
cm.  up  in  a  crevice  between  the  rocks  in  a  stone  wall.  The  eggs 
were  fresh.  One  is  rounded  ovate  in  shape  and  the  remaining  three 
short  ovate.  They  measure  13x15,  13x16,  13x16  and  13.5x16.5 
mm.  The  color  is  as  in  the  set  described  above,  but  the  aggregation 
of  spots  about  the  larger  ends  is  not  so  pronounced.  The  parent  bird 
was  shot  as  she  left  the  nest  and  is  the  adult  female  described  above. 
A  nest  found  April  28,  1898,  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  contained  four 
eggs  with  incubation  far  advanced.  This  nest  was  situated  behind 
the  loose  bark  of  an  old  rotten  stump  about  30  cm.  from  the  ground. 
The  nesting  materials  consisted  entirely  of  soft  dry  grasses. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION;  IQ5 

Four  nests  and  sets  of  eggs  of  this  species  were  collected  during 
the  1907  expedition.  The  first  was  taken  the  8th  of  May  and  the  last 
June  23rd.  The  eggs  collected  were  fresh  in  each  case.  The  set 
taken  June  23rd  contained  five  eggs.  An  interesting  coincidence  in 
the  collecting  of  this  season  was  the  taking  of  a  nest  and  set  of  eggs 
of  this  species  (June  I3th)  from  the  same  crevice  in  a  stone  wall  as 
the  set  taken  June  17,  1905  and  described  above. 

From  our  observations  and  the  material  at  hand  we  may  conclude 
that  the  nesting  season  lasts  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  end  of 
June,  and  sets  vary  from  three  to  five  in  number. 

SICALIS  ARVENSIS  MINOR  Cabanis. 

Sicalis  minor  Cab.,  in  Schomb.  Reise    Brit.  Guiana  III.   1848.  p.  679. 
Serin opsis  arz>ensis  minor  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  28. 

Inhabits  the  open  savannas  where  it  is  more  frequently  seen  on 
the  ground  than  perched  in  the  low  trees  and  bushes  growing  there 
in  scattering  clumps.  The  nest  is  placed  in  the  tall  marsh  grass 
bordering  inland  ponds  or  streams. 

A  nest  taken  at  San  Mateo  de  Caicara  May  i6th  in  open  swampy 
land  was  placed  in  a  thick  bunch  of  grass  about  30.5  cm.  from  )the 
ground.  It  contained  three  slightly  incubated  eggs,  ovate  in  form, 
pale  bluish  green  in  color,  two  of  the  eggs  being  speckled  and  spotted 
all  over  with  brown  varying  in  color  from  vandyke  to  chocolate,  the 
third  with  the  markings  confined  chiefly  to  a  distinct  ring  about  the 
larger  end.  The  eggs  measure  16.5  x  12.75,  ][6-75  x  13  and  16.5  x  12.5 
mm.  The  nest  is  rather  neat,  and  compactly  built;  it  is  composed 
entirely  of  dry  grasses,  the  outside  course  and  the  lining  soft  and  fine. 
It  measures  outside  7.5  cm.  diameter  by  6  cm.  deep;  inside  4  cm.  diameter 
by  2.5  cm.  deep. 

The  song  of  this  species  is  usually  given  while  on  the  wing.  I 
have  frequently  seen  the  male  birds  spring  from  the  ground  and  rise 
to  a  height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet,  singing  as  they  dropped  on  flutter- 
ing wings. 

BRACK YSPIZA  CAPENSIS  (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 

Pringilla  capensis  P.  L.  S.  Miiller,  Natursyst.  Suppl.  1776.  p.  165. 
Brachyspisa  capensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  28. 

Two  specimens,  adult  male  and  female,  were  taken  April  6th, 
1898,  in  a  thicket  bordering  a  low  range  of  hills  near  Quiribana  de 


196  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Caicara.  They  were  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  and  recorded  in  the 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper.  That  is  the  only  record  I  have  for  this 
species  in  over  three  years'  work  in  the  valley  of  the  Orinoco. 

MYOSPIZA  MANIMBE  (Lichtenstein). 
Fringilla  Manimbe  Licht.,  Verz.  Doubl.  1823.  p.  25. 
Myospiza  manimbe  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  28. 

Abundant  in  the  open  savanna  regions.  Called  Ratonera  by  the 
natives  from  its  habit  of  running  about  between  the  tufts  of  grass  and 
concealing  itself  by  crouching  down  close  to  the  ground. 

An  adult  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  4th,  had  the  eye  vandyke 
brown;  bill  above  dusky,  below  cinereous;  feet  pale. 

A  male  bird  was  flushed  from  a  nest  found  at  Caicara  May  22, 
1905.  The  nest  was  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a  bunch  of  rather 
long  grass  that  drooped  over  and  partially  concealed  it.  It  was 
constructed  entirely  of  dry  grasses  loosely  put  together.  Incuba- 
tion had  just  begun  in  the  three  delicate,  pure  white  and  slightly 
glossy  eggs.  The  eggs  are  short  ovate  in  form  and  measure 
18.25  x  14.5,  18.5  x  14.5  and  18.5  x  14.5  mm. 

A  second  nest  and  set  of  eggs1  of  this  species  was  taken  at  Las 
Guacas  on  the  San  Feliz  River  (a  tributary  of  the  Cuchivero)  May  17, 
1907.  This  nest  also  was  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a  tussock  of 
grass  which  completely  concealed  it.  The  female  flushing  from 
almost  beneath  my  feet  disclosed  the  nest,  which  is  an  almost  perfect 
sphere  of  soft  dry  grasses  with  the  entrance  on  one  side.  The  nest 
measures  8.5  cm.  in  diameter  outside,  the  entrance  to  the  nest  cavity 
about  3.5  cm.  in  diameter  and  the  nest  cavity  about  6  cm.  The 
eggs,  two  in  number,  were  fresh.  They  are  pure  white  in  color,  be- 
tween an  ovate  and  a  short  ovate  in  form  and  measure  19  x  14.5  and 
18.25  x  T4-5  mm- 

This  species  was  observed  by  the  writer  at  all  points  visited  on 
the  Orinoco.  Klages  sent  a  series  to  the  American  Museum  that 
were  collected  at  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River  during  the  months  of 
December,  January,  February,  March  and  April.  These,  compared  with 
a  series  from  other  points  in  South  America,  such  as  Matto  Grosso, 
Bahia,  Bogota,  and  Apolobamba,  Bolivia,  seem  in  every  way  similar. 

1  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  III.  1891.  p.  374,  describes  two  sets  of  eggs  as  belonging  to  this  species,  but  says 
they  are  white  with  a  delicate  wreath  of  small  spots  of  blackish  brown  and  purplish  lavender  around  th  e 
larger  end.  The  measurements  of  two  eggs  are  given  as  ".77  x  .56  (19.56  x  22  mm.)  and  .65  x  .55  (i  1.31  x 
13.97  mm.). 

It  is-  possible  that  some  sets  of  eggs  of  this  species  are  marked  as  above,  but  I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion 
that  the  specimens  described  by  Dr.  Allen  were  incorrectly  identified. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  197 

ARREMONOPS  CONIROSTRIS  VENEZUELENSIS  Ridgway. 
Arremonops  venezuelensis  Ridgw.  Auk.  XV.  1898.  p.  228. 
Arremonops  conirostris  ve-nezuelensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   29. 

Not  common;  keeps  to  the  thickets  about  the  borders  of  heavy 
woodland.  Has  a  pleasant  song  that  is  usually  delivered  from  the 
upper  branches  of  some  shrub  or  low  tree. 

I  find  in  my  field  notes  on  my  first  expedition  to  Venezuela  the 
record  of  finding  a  nest  and  one  fresh  egg  of  this  species  at  Caicara 
on  the  loth  of  August,  1898.  The  female  was  flushed  from  the  nest 
and  collected  at  the  time.  The  nest  was  about  30.5  cm.  from  the 
ground  in  a  tangle  of  thorny  palm  stalks.  The  opening  or  entrance 
was  on  one  side  of  the  somewhat  bulky  and  roughly  flask-shaped 
nest,  turned  slightly  upward  and  was  quite  as  large  as  the  largest 
diameter  of  the  nest  cavity.  The  nest  measured  about  16.5  cm.  in 
diameter  by  25.4  cm.  high.  It  was  built  of  the  dead  blades  of  broad 
leaved  grasses,  sedges  and  other  aquatic  plants,  lined  with  soft  fine 
rootlets.  The  one  egg  found  was  white,  without  gloss,  ovate  in  form 
and  measured  25.5  x  17.7  mm. 

ARREMON  SILENS  (Boddaert). 
Tanagra  silens  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  46. 
Arremon  silens  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  23. 

I  found  this  species  not  uncommon  about  Maipures  on  the  upper 
river  and  collected  specimens  during  December,  January,  February, 
March  and  April.  The  American  Museum  possesses  birds  collected 
on  the  Caura  in  September,  October  and  February.  A  female  taken 
April  5th  had  a  nearly  fully  developed  egg  in  the  oviduct. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  pale  grey. 
The  only  note  I  heard  from  this  species  was  a  sharp  pssss. 

EMBERIZOIDES  MACROURUS  (Gmelin). 

Fringilla  macroura  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1/88.  p.  918. 
llmbcrisoides  macrourus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  29. 

Not  observed  at  Bolivar  but  it  was  common  at  Altagracia,  Quiri- 
bana  de  Caicara  and  San  Mateo  de  Caicara  in  certain  restricted  locali- 
ties, such  as  marshy  places,  where  tall  sedge-grass  grows  on  the  open 
savannas.  When  flushed  this  bird  will  only  fly  for  a  few  yards  and 
then  drop  into  the  tall  grasses. 


198  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

SPIZA  AMERICANA  (Gmelin). 

Emberisa  americana  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  91.8. 
Spisa  americana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  29. 

During  my  stay  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  from  April  ist  to  i/th,  1905, 
the  dickcissel  was  very  abundant  in  open  patches  of  timber  on  the 
savannas  and  along  the  water  courses.  Large  flocks  containing 
many  males  and  females  were  flitting  about  in  the  tree-tops.  All 
were  singing,  and  mating  seemed  to  be  going  on.  On  my  previous 
expedition  I  noted  the  dickcissel  at  Altagracia  and  Caicara  from  the 
29th  of  December  until  May  loth. 

PAROARIA  NIGROGENYS  (Lafresnaye). 

Nemosia  nigrogenys  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  1846.  p.  273. 
Paroaria  nigrogenys  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  29. 

Abundant.  The  Gorro  Colorado  of  the  natives  is  one  of  the 
characteristic  birds  of  the  Orinoco  region.  It  is  found  everywhere 
but  is  not  common  in  heavy  timber.  Often  seen  about  the  door 
yards  of  the  native  houses  and  in  the  houses  themselves  where  the 
birds  do  not  hesitate  to  enter  if  the  openings  at  the  gables  and  eaves 
afford  an  easy  means  of  escape.  They  are  fond  of  bits  of  meat  and 
may  be  frequently  seen  helping  themselves  from  the  strings  of  fresh 
meat  that  are  hung  out  in  the  sun  to  dry,  whenever  an  animal  is 
butchered  at  a  native  house. 

The  colors  of  fresh  birds  are :  eye  light  brick  red ;  bill  black,  grayish 
at  base  of  the  mandible ;  feet  slate  color. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  among  the  thick  branches  in  the  top  of 
some  low  shrub  or  tree,  or  in  a  tangle  of  vines,  and  is  ordinarily  in 
the  area  that  is  flooded  during  the  rainy  season.  A  nest  found  at 
Caicara  August  6th,  1898,  was  in  a  tree  top,  but  only  about  eight 
inches  above  the  surrounding  water.  The  nearest  dry  land  was  prob- 
ably 500  yards  from  the  nest  site.  This  nest  was  not  in  any  way 
attached  to  the  surrounding  twigs  but  set  loosely  in  among  them.  "It 
is  a  shallow  cup  of  dry  twigs  and  rootlets,  lined  with  fine  smooth  grass. 
The  eggs  are  smooth'  almost  glossless  greenish  white,  covered  with 
blotches  and  small  patches  of  greenish  brown,  with  a  few  underlying 
mauve  spots,  the  markings  being  more  frequent  about  the  thick  end. 
They  measure  18.9  x  14.5  and  20.5  x  15  mm.1"  The  nest  contained  three 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  30. 


CHERRIE :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  199 

eggs,  one  fresh  and  two  badly  incubated.  One  of  the  incubated  eggs 
was  broken.  Of  the  measurements  given  above  the  smaller  is  for  the 
fresh  egg. 

A  second  nest  taken  on  the  same  date  looks  as  though  it  were  an 
old  one  that  had  been  "refurnished"  with  a  new  lining  which  on  one 
side  extends  considerably  above  the  edge  of  the  old  nest  which  had 
tipped  to  one  side.  The  lining  is  a  fine  root-like  vegetable  fibre  (hazel 
brown  in  color).  The  old  nest  is  made  up  of  fine  dead  twigs,  mostly 
thorny,  firmly  bound  together  and  attached  to  the  surrounding  twigs 
and  vines  by  spiderwebs.  This  nest  was  about  25.3  cm.  above  the 
water.  The  inside  measurements  are  4.8  cm.  in  diameter  by  2.3  cm. 
in  depth.  The  two  fresh  eggs  measure  19.5  x  14.5  and  20.5  x  14.75 
mm.  June  5,  1905,  a  nest  was  found  in  the  tops  of  some  bushes, 
about  1.5  m.  above  the  ground,  in  a  marsh,  that  within  another  three 
weeks  would  have  been  completely  inundated.  The  body  of  the  nest 
is  composed  of  fine  dead  grasses  and  weed  tops  firmly  bound  to- 
gether and  to  the  surrounding  twigs  by  spiderwebs.  The  whole  is 
neat,  trim  and  substantial  in  appearance,  although  so  lightly  builded 
that  the  eggs  are  readily  seen  through  the  bottom  of  the  nest.  There 
is  an  inner  lining  of  fine,  horse-hair-like  black  vegetable  fibres.  The 
inside  measurements  are  5.5  cm.  diameter  by  2.9  cm.  in  depth;  outside 
9x5  cm.  The  nest  contained  two  eggs  with  incubation  far  advanced. 
Only  one  was  preserved,  and  that  measures  20.75  x  J4-5  mm- 

In  juvenal  plumage,  this  species  is  a  dark  sepia  brown  above, 
wings  and  tail  brownish  black.  There  are  only  the  faintest  indica- 
tions of  paler  edges  to  the  feathers  of  the  back  and  the  wing  coverts. 
Below  the  portion  of  the  cheeks  and  throat  that  is  crimson  in  the 
adult,  is  a  pale  ochraceous  buff;  the  remaining  under  parts  are  white, 
faintly  buffy  on  sides,  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts. 

Succeeding  the  juvenal  plumage,  there  is  a  partial  moult,  in 
which  the  sepia  brown  feathers  of  the  head  are  replaced,  on  the  centre 
of  the  crown  largely  by  ones  with  brownish  black  tips  and  crimson 
bases,  the  feathers  themselves  somewhat  lanceolate  in  form  but  not 
markedly  elongated.  In  this  stage  of  plumage  the  sides  of  the  face, 
lores  and  ear-coverts  become  brownish  black ;  the  chin  is  blackish, 
and  the  ochraceous  buff  feathers  of  birds  in  juvenal  plumage  are 
largely  replaced  by  rufous  with  slight  intermixture  of  crimson,  the 
crimson  feathers  having  the  lanceolate  form  of  those  of  adult  plu- 
mage. The  remaining  under  parts  are  pale  buffy  white. 


200  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

The  adult  or  nuptial  plumage  seems  to  be  acquired  by  a  com- 
plete prenuptial  moult  and  my  observations  indicate  that  breeding 
does  not  begin  until  the  adult  plumage  has  been  acquired. 

SALTATOR  OLIVASCENS  Cabanis. 
Saltator  olivascens  Cab.,  in  Schomb.  Reise  Brit.  Guiana  III.  1848.  p.  6/6; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  23. 

Common  throughout  the  delta  region  and  along  the  middle 
stretches  of  the  river  as  far  up  as  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  River. 

Colors  of  fresh  birds  are :  eye,  seal  brown ;  bill,  blackish ;  feet,  smoke 
grey. 

Nesting  begins  in  April  as  indicated  by  a  female  taken  at  Ciudad 
Bolivar  April  I5th  that  had  an  egg  in  the  oviduct.  Immature  birds 
resemble  the  adults  but  are  washed  all  over  with  bright  olive  green. 

SALTATOR  MAXIMUS  (Muller). 

Tanagra  maxima  Miiller,  Natursyst.  Suppl.  1776.  p.  159. 
Saltator  magmis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  23,  not  Gmelin ;  et  auctorum. 
This  species  of  Saltator  was  observed  on  the  upper  Orinoco  only. 
S.  olivascens  and  5".  orenocensis  taking  its  place  on  the  middle  and  lower 
•stretches  of  the  river.  Andre  and  Klages  sent  specimens  from  Suapure 
and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River  to  the  Tring  Museum. 

SALTATOR  ORENOCENSIS  Lafresnaye. 
Saltator  orenocensis  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  1846.  p.  274;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  23,  PI.  XII,  fig.  3. 

Common  at  all  points  along  the  Orinoco  from  the  delta  region 
(Las  Barrancas)  to  Urbana  or  about  the  mouth  of  the  Apure  River. 

An  adult  male  had  the  eye  sepia  brown ;  bill,  blackish  slate  above, 
plumbeous  below;  feet,  slaty.  The  colors  of  an  adult  female  were: 
eye  pinkish  cream  color;  bill  greenish  drab  with  a  dusky  line  along 
ridge  of  culmen ;  feet  pinkish ;  flesh  white. 

On  May  10,  1898,  I  took  a  nest  of  this  species  containing  one 
nearly  fully  fledged  young  and  one  addled  egg.  The  nest  was  placed 
among  the  tops  of  a  thick  clump  of  canes,  about  2.13  m.  above  the 
ground.  It  is  a  large  loose  structure  of  broad  grasses,  sedge  and 
twigs  without  a  particularly  soft  lining.  The  single  egg  reminds  one 
of  a  large  Carpodacus  egg,  being  light  greenish  blue,  with  a  few  minute 
purplish  black  spots  near  the  thick  end.  It  measures  24  x  17.5  mm.1 

'Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  24. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2OI 

Both  parent  birds  remained  near  while  I  was  collecting  the  nest 
and  evinced  great  excitement,  frequently  breaking  into  full  song.  The 
young  bird  did  not  show  any  fear  when  I  carried  it  to  my  camp  and 
readily  took  food  from  the  hand.  It  met  an  unfortunate  end  a  few  nights 
later,  being  killed  by  rats. 

On  the  1907  expedition  a  nest  with  two  fresh  eggs  together  with 
the  female  parent  bird  was  taken  at  Caicara  on  the  I5th  of  June. 
This  nest  was  placed  between  small  upright  forks,  in  the  top  of  a 
small  thorny  tree,  about  5  m.  from  the  ground.  It  is  loosely, 
seemingly  carelessly,  put  together,  and  of  somewhat  ragged  exterior 
outlines.  The  nesting  material  consists  of  weed  stems,  broad 
grasses,  a  few  leaves  and  strips  of  soft  vegetable  fibers  (partially  disinte- 
grated pieces  from  the  leaves  of  some  species  of  palm  [?]),  with  a 
thin  layer  of  somewhat  coarse  tendril-like  plant  stems  forming  the  lining. 
It  measures  outside  about  10  cm.  in  diameter,  and  7  cm.  in  depth;  inside 
about  6  cm.  in  diameter  at  the  rim  and  4.5  cm.  in  depth.  The  eggs  are 
ovate  in  form,  and  measure  22.5  x  18  and  23.75  x  l7-75mm-  They  are  a 
bluish  nile  in  color,  one  with  dots,  spots  and  irregular  lines  of  black 
arranged  in  a  band  about  the  larger  end,  the  other  with  a  moderately  wide 
band  of  irregular  black  lines  and  marks  about  the  smaller  end,  and  a  few 
scattering  black  irregular  lines  and  blotches  over  the  body  of  the  egg. 
Two  eggs  seem  to  constitute  a  full  clutch. 


CORYPHOSPINGUS    PILEATUS    (Wied.). 

Fringilla  pileata  Wied,  Reise  Bras.  II.  1821.  p.  160. 
Coryphospingus  pileatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  30. 

Very  abundant  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  in  the  scattering  clumps  of  trees 
that  border  the  water  courses  on  the  savannas ;  but  not  observed  at  any 
point  higher  up  the  river.  In  the  adult  male  the  eye  is  seal  brown ; 
bill  above  black,  below  cinereous;  feet  smoke  grey. 


ICTERIDAE— CASSIQUES,    HANGNESTS,    ORIOLES,    BLACK- 
BIRDS. 

Seventeen  species  and  subspecies  are  included  in  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert's  paper,  fifteen  of  which  number  have  been  observed  and  collected 
by  the  writer.  All  are  probably  resident  in  the  localities  where  found, 


202  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

but  several  of  the  species  are  more  abundant  at  some  seasons  than  at 
others.  Or,  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  relative  abundance  or  paucity 
of  a  given  species  at  any  particular  season  is  more  apparent  than  real 
and  i-s  dependent  on  the  habit  certain  forms  have  of  congregating  into 
great  flocks  during  the  dry  season.  As  a  group,  birds  of  this  family 
are  well  known  and  characteristic  of  the  region.  The  long  purse-like 
nests  of  colonies  of  some  of  the  hang-nests  are  conspicuous  objects  in 
many  a  landscape.  The  brilliant  plumages  of  others  attract  attention, 
while  the  vocal  powers  of  certain  species  are  unrivaled  among  tropical 
birds. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  ICTERIDAE. 

a.     Outstretched  feet  reaching  beyond  the  end  of  the  tail  and  claw  of  hind 
toe  elongated. 

b.     Outer  tail-feathers  largely  or  entirely  white Sturntlla,  magna  meridiona- 

lis. 
b'.    Outer  tail-feathers  not  white. 

c.     More  or  less  red  in  plumage  of  under  parts  (adult  males  with  throat 

and  breast  bright  scarlet) Leistes  militaris. 

c'.    No  red  in  plumage  of  under  parts Dolichonyx  oryzivorus. 

a'.    Outstretched  feet  falling  short  of  end  of  the  tail  and  claw  of  hind  toe" not 

elongated. 
b.     Black  with  iridescent  lustre  (male)  or  brown  (female). l 

c.     Frontal  plumes  erect Lampropsar  tanagrinus 

guianensis. 

c'.    Frontal  plumes  not  erect. 
d.     Size  large,  wing  more  than  150  mm.     Neck  feathers  lengthened 

and  expanded  2 Cassidix  oryzivora  oryzivora. 

d'.   Smaller,  wing  less  than  150  mm. 

«.     Length  of  bill  not  more  than' twice  its  depth;  tail  square  or  but 
slightly  rounded. 

/.     Size  large  wing  more  than  1 20  mm Molothrus  cabanisi.  * 

/'.    Smaller,  wing  not  more  than  120  mm. 

g.    Wing  not  over  105  mm Molothrus  alronilens.  * 

g'.   Wing  more  than  105  mm Molothrus  bonariensis 

venezuelensis . 
ef.   Length  of  bill  more  than  twice  its  depth.     Tail  much  rounded, 

almost  wedge-shaped Holoquiscalus  lugubris. 

b'.    Not  uniformly  black  or  brown,  above  and  below. 
c.     Throat  uniform  with  breast  and  sides  and  general  color  of  under  parts 

olive  green,  black  or  brown.  . 

d.     Entire  under  parts  uniform  (black) ;  above,  rump  bright  red Cacicus  haemorrhous. 

d'.    Under  tail-coverts  not  uniform  with  breast. 

e.     Rump  yellow Cacicus  cela. 

e1.    Rump  chestnut. 

/.     Body  black Ostinops  decumanus. 

f.    Body  olive  green Ostinops  viridis. 


'The  females  of  Lampropsar  tanagrinus  resemble  the  males  and  are  black  and  slightly  glossy. 

2Neck  feathers  not  expanded  in  females. 

'In  the  British  Museum  Catalogue  of  Birds,  XI.  1886.  338,  this  species  is  recorded  from  Caracas, 
Venezuela,  and  Trinidad,  so  it  is  not  improbable  that  it  will  be  found  later  in  the  delta  region  of  the  Orinoco. 

«Hellmayr,  Npyit.  Zool.  XIIJ.  1906.  20,  designates  the  Coast  of  British  Guiana  as  the  type  locality. 
£  -!-Sue™es  ls  ou^d  m  Trinidad-  and  Venezuela  is  included  in  the  habitat  given  in  the  Catalogue  of  Birds, 
British  Museum  XI.  1886.  337,  so  we  may  confidently  expect  it  in  the  delta  region  of  the  Orinoco. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2O3 

cf.    If  throat  is  uniform  with  breast  and  sides  then  general  color  of 

under  parts  is  neither  black  nor  brown. 
d.     Throat  uniform  with  remaining  under  parts. 
e.     Upper  parts  bright  olive  yellowish;  wings  blackish  with  pale 
quill  edges  and  two  wing-bars  formed  by  pale  tips  of  greater 

and  middle  coverts '. Icterus  xanthornus  xanlhor- 

nus  (Juvenal). 

e'.    Head  yellow;  back,  wings  and  tail  black Gymnomystax  mexicanus. 

d'.    Throat  not  uniform  with  remaining  under  parts. 

«.     Lower  back  and  crissum  chestnut ' Gymnostinops  yuracares 

caurensis. 
e'.    No  chestnut  in  plumage. 

/.     Throat  yellow Xanthosomus  icterocephalus. 

f.   Throat  black. 

g.     Head  all  around  black Icterus  icterus. 

gf.   Top  of  head  yellow  uniform  with  back Icterus  xanthornus  xanthor- 
nus (adult). 

GYMNOSTINOPS  YURACARES  CAURENSIS  Todd. 
Cassicus  yuracares  Lafr.  &  D'Orb.,  Syn.  Av.  H.  p.  2 ;  in  Mag.  Zool.  VIII. 

1838. 

Gymnostinops  yuracares  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  30. 
Gymnostinops  yuracares  caurensis  Todd;  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXVI, 

1913,  170  (Rio  Mocho,  Rio  Caura,  Venez.). 

The  Tring  Museum  received  specimens  collected  on  the  Caura 
River,  at  Suapure  by  Klages,  and  at  Nicare  by  Andre.  None  were 
seen  on  the  Orinoco  proper  by  the  writer. 

OSTINOPS  DECUMANUS  (Pallas). 

Xanthornus  decumanus  Pall.,  Spic.  Zool.  Fasc.  VI.  1769.  p.  i. 
Ostinops  decumanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  30. 

This  species  seemed  to  be  confined  to  the  heavily  wooded  regions 
above  the  falls  in  the  Orinoco  and  the  equally  heavy  forests  of  the 
delta  region.  It  was  not  observed  by  the  writer  anywhere  below  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Meta.  A  number  of  trees  in  the  vicinity  of  Maipures 
and  Munduapo  were  conspicuous  by  the  number  of  long  nests  of  this 
species  swinging  from  their  branches. 

Beebe  collected  a  female  at  Guanoco  in  the  delta  region. 

OSTINOPS  VIRIDIS  (Miiller). 

Oriolus  viridis  Miiller,  Natursyst.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  87. 
Ostinops  viridis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  30. 

Klages  sent  a  specimen  from  the  Mato  River  mouth  (on  the  Caura 
River)  to  the  Tring  Museum  and  Andre  sent  one  from  Nicare.  It  was 
not  observed  by  the  writer. 


2O4  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

CACICUS  CELA  (Linnaeus). 

Partis  Cela  Linnaeus,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  191. 1 
Cassicus  persicus   Berlepsch,   Ibis.    1884,   p.   433    (Angostura   and   Rio 

Apure). 
Cassicus  albirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.   p.  30. 

Native  name  Arrendajo.  A  common  bird  all  along  the  lower 
stretches  of  the  river  including  the  delta  region,  and  along  the  middle 
stretches,  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Meta.  Also  abundant  along 
the  lower  Caura  River.  Nesting  in  colonies  and  frequenting  the  nesting- 
trees  throughout  the  year.  The  colonies  vary-  in  size  from  half 
a  dozen  to  seventy-five  or  eighty  nests  placed  close  beside  one 
another  and  at  heights  above  the  ground  of  from  7.6  m.  to  30  m. 
No  single  species  of  tree  seems  to  be  preferred;  but  the  tree  selected 
and  the  height  from  the  ground  appears  to  be  determined  by  the 
presence  of  the  nest  of  some  species  of  wasp  (most  frequently  Polybia 
liliacea  Fabricius),  or  not  uncommonly  a  nest  of  stingless  bees  which 
forms  the  centre  about  which  the  bird  village  is  built.  The  most  cordial 
good-fellowship  appears  to  exist  between  the  birds  and  their  insect  neigh- 
bors. My  observations  have  not  indicated  any  direct  relationship  between 
the  size  of  the  bird  and  insect  colonies.  However,  when  through  accident 
or  natural  causes  the  wasp  nests  are  destroyed  or  abandoned  the  sur- 
rounding bird  colonies  seem  to  dwindle  in  size  and  are  finally  also  aban- 
doned. A  number  of  colonies  of  Arrendajo  that  I  noted  when  on  the 
Orinoco  in  1897  and  1898,  were  still  in  existence  in  1905,  some  flourish- 
ing, others  in  decadence  and  some  abandoned.  And  in  every  instance 
where  a  colony  had  been  abandoned  or  had  decreased  in  population,  the 
wasp  nests  were  either  broken  down  or  had  been  abandoned. 

Nesting  begins  toward  the  end  of  the  dry  season,  in  April,  and 
continues  until  June;  and  what  appears  to  be  an  intelligent  adaptation 
to  circumstances  is  seen  in  the  finishing  of  the  nests.  During  the  early 
part  of  the  breeding  season,  before  the  rains  have  begun  to  come,  the 
nests  are  almost  all  open  from  the  top  as  in  the  case  of  our  common 
Baltimore  Oriole.  As  the  rains  begin  to  come,  after  the  eggs  have  been 
laid,  and  often  the  young  hatched,  the  top  entrance  is  gradually  roofe-l 
over  and  the  nest  entrance  becomes  a  bent  tube  with  the  opening  down- 
ward. The  nests  are  purse-shaped  bags  tightly  woven  from  long,  tough, 
narrow-bladed  marsh  grasses.  Some  are  provided  with  an  inner  lining 

'See  Hellmayr.     Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  20. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 


205 


of  soft  dead  grasses,  others  are  without  lining.  They  average  about 
38  cm.  in  length  and  15  cm.  in  diameter,  but  little  constricted  at  the  top. 

The  colonies  are  frequently  so  compact  that  three  and  four  nests 
may  press  one  against  another  and  actually  be  woven  one  to  another. 

Two  eggs  constitute  a  set  and  there  is  considerable  variation  in 
shape  and  size  between  the  various  sets,  but  not  between  the  eggs  of 
individual  sets.  In  five  sets  that  I  have  before  me  there  are  good  ex- 
amples of  ovate,  elongate  ovate  and  cylindrical  ovate.  The  measure- 
ments of  the  five  sets  are  26.75  x  J8-5  and  27.5  x  19.5 ;  27.75  x  :9  an^ 
27x18.75;  29.5x17.75  and  31x17.75;  27.25x18.5  and  28x18.5; 
27  x  18.25  and  28.25  x  l8-75  mm-  The  color  is  white  with  a  faint  bluish 
wash,  marked  with  specks,  spots  and  blotches  of  chestnut  over  vinaceous 
brown.  In  some  eggs  the  markings  are  pretty  evenly  distributed  over 
the  entire  egg;  in  others  they  are  almost  confined  to  large  blotches  in  a 
ring  about  the  larger  end. 

The  colors  in  fresh  birds  are :  eye  azure  blue ;  bill  pale  sulphur 
yellow ;  feet  black. 

CACICUS  HAEMORRHOUS  HAEMORRHOUS  (Linnaeus). 
Oriolus  haemorrhous  Lv  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766. -p.  161. 
Cassicus  haemorrhous  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  31. 

This  was  the  only  form  of  Cacicus  observed  on  the  Orinoco  above 
the  falls  of  Atures  and  was  found  there  almost  as  abundantly  as  was 
C.  cela  on  the  lower  and  middle  stretches  of  the  river. 

ICTERUS  CHRYSOCEPHALUS  (Linnaeus). 

Oriolus  chrysocephdus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  164. 
Xanthornus  chrysocephalus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  31. 

Native  name  Moriche.  Specimens  were  secured  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  first  falls  in  the  river,  at  Perico,  and  from  that  point  onward  up 
stream.  I  also  noted  this  species  in  the  trees  along  the  river  bank  at 
several  points  below  Ciudad  Bolivar.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  it 
was  nowhere  observed  between  Bolivar  and  the  falls^of  Atures. 

Orioles  of  this  species  are  much  sought  after  as  cage  birds  by  the 
natives  and  are  sold  often  at  from  three  to  ten  dollars  each. 

ICTERUS  AURICAPIU.US  Cassin. 

Icterus  auricapillus  Cass..  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  III.  1847.  p.  332. 
Xanthornus  auricapillus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  31. 


206  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Occasionally  observed  along  the  middle  Orinoco.  Among  specimens 
collected  at  Caicara  was  a  breeding  female  which  was  taken  June  7, 
1898. 

ICTERUS  XANTHORNUS  XANTHORNUS  (Gmelin). 
Oriolus  xanthornus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  13.  I.  1788.  p.  391. 
Xanthornus  xanthornus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  31. 

Native  name  Gonzalito.  The  colors  in  life  are,  eye  seal  brown ;  bill 
black;  feet  plumbeous. 

A  female  in  Juvenal  plumage,  collected  at  Caicara  May  4,  1907, 
is  rich  dark  olive  yellow  above,  darkest  on  the  back;  the  wings  are 
blackish,  the  primaries  narrowly  edged  on  the  outer  webs  and  the 
secondaries  rather  broadly  edged  and  tipped  with  pale  greyish ;  there 
are  two  wing-bands  produced  by  pale  tips  of  the  greater  and  median 
wing-coverts,  that  on  the  greater  coverts  being  buffy  and  the  band 
on  the  median  coverts  shaded  with  the  color  of  the  back;  the  bend  of 
the  wing  and  under  parts  are  canary  yellow  (without  a  sign  of  the 
black  throat  patch  of  the  adults)  ;  the  tail  is  dusky  olive  green. 

An  abundant  species;  in  habits  quite  like  our  Baltimore  Oriole.  In 
trees  where  this  oriole  is  nesting  are  very  frequently  found  nests  of  one 
or  more  species  of  Flycatchers  (Pitangus,  Myiozetetes,  Legatus,  etc.), 
and  not  infrequently  nests  of  the  Gonzalito  will  be  found  close  to  those  of 
a  colony  of  the  yellow-rumped  Hangnest,  Cacicus  cela.  The  nests  aic 
typical  oriole  nests,  bag-shaped,  about  30  cm.  long  and  10  cm.  in 
diameter  at  the  bottom,  slightly  constricted  at  the  top.  They  are 
usually  suspended  between  forked  twigs  at  the  extreme  tips  of  branches. 
I  have  found  nests  within  1.22  m.  of  the  ground,  in  bushes,  and  again 
15.25  m.  up.  During  my  two  recent  expeditions  I  noted  a  number  of 
nests  building  in  small  trees  over  the  water  that,  before  the  eggs  could 
have  been  hatched  and  the  young  have  left  the  nest,  must  have  been 
submerged  by  the  rapidly  rising  river. 

A  nest  taken  on  the  nth  of  May,  1907,  is  somewhat  unusual,  as 
it  is  partially  supported  by  an  old  nest  of  the  same  species,  which  a 
month  earlier  contained  young  yellow  orioles  almost  ready  to  fly. 
Through  some  cause  one  of  the  supporting  twigs  of  the  old  nest  had 
broken,  allowing  the  nest  to  sag  and  partially  close  the  entrance.  The 
new  nest  is  supported  by  the  remaining  branch  of  the  fork  that  held 
the  old  nest  and  also  by  being  woven  fast  to  the  old  nest  itself.  While 
there  is  no  proof  that  both  nests  were  built  by  the  same  pair  of  birds, 
yet  the  choice  of  the  same  locality,  the  construction  of  nests  of  the 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2O/ 

same  relative  size  and  style,  and  the  similarity,  of  the  materials  employed 
would  all  seem  to  indicate  that  the  orioles  had  found  the  locality  a 
desirable  one  in  which  to  rear  a  family,  and  had  made  preparations  for 
their  second  brood.  This  nest  was  about  7.6  m.  from  the 
ground  in  a  large  tree  standing  in  a  rather  thinly  wooded  savanna 
region.  It  contained  three  fresh  eggs;  they  are  elongated  ovate  in 
form  and  in  color  are  white,  beautifully  marked  with  dark  brown  lines 
and  spots  over  similar  underlying  pale  mauve  colored  markings, 
especially  about  the  larger  end.  They  measure  23  x  15;  23.6  x  15.5 
and  22.5  x  15.2  mm.  A  set  of  eggs  sent  by  the  writer  to  the  Tring 
Museum  measure  25.1  x  15.6  and  24.5  x  17.1  mm1  A  single  egg  taken 
with  a  nest  May,  1905,  measures  26  x  17.5  mm.  and  is  nearly  elongate 
ovate  in  form.  Deserted  nests  of  this  species  are  often  taken  possession 
of  for  nesting  purposes  by  other  kinds  of  birds  such  as  Sicalis  flaveola 
and  the  striped  Flycatcher,  Legatus  albicollis. 

This  oriole  displays  considerable  individual  taste  in  the  selection 
of  material  and  in  the  details  of  construction  of  its  nests. 

ICTERUS  ICTERUS  (Linnaeus). 

Oriolus  icterus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  161.  pro  parte. 
Xanthornus  icterus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  32. 

Native  name  Trupial.  Adult  birds  in  life  have  the  eye  straw  yellow, 
bare  skin  about  eye  cobalt  blue;  bill  black,  plumbeous  at  base  of  the 
mandible;  feet  plumbeous. 

Not  uncommon,  but  wary  and  shy;  distributed  everywhere  along 
the  river  at  least  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Meta. 

Very  little  has  been  written  regarding  the  life  history  of  this  bird. 
It  is,  therefore,  with  much  pleasure  that  I  present  the  following  notes. 

A  nest  and  set  of  eggs  was  collected  at  Caicara  May  4,  1907.  The 
nest  had  as  its  foundation  the  half  decayed  mass  of  grasses  that  had 
once  served,  most  probably,  as  a  nest  of  Pitangus  sulphuratus  rufipennis. 
Repairs  had  been  made  in  the  roof  and  a  lining  of  soft  grasses  had  been 
placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  nest  cavity.  From  the  outside  there  was 
nothing  to  indicate  that  it  was  more  than  an  old  nest  long  since  aban- 
doned. The  entrance,  the  original  one,  was  on  one  side  but  completely 
hidden  from  below  by  surrounding  foliage.  In  the  same  tree  were 
three  other  deserted  nests  of  Pitangus,  each  of  which  was  in  a  much 
better  state  of  preservation  than  the  one  that  the  trupial  had  selected. 

'Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  p.  32. 


208  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

The  set  consisted  of  three  eggs  in  which  incubation  had  begun. 
The  eggs  seem  somewhat  large  for  the  size  of  the  bird;  they  are 
elongate  ovate  in  form  and  measure  28  x  18.75  J  28-5  x  l%-5  an&  27-5  x  J8 
mm.  respectively.  In  color  they  are  white,  with  a  faint  buffy  pink  shade, 
rather  thickly  marked,  especially  about  the  larger  end,  with  two  or 
three  sets  of  markings  consisting  of  dots,  spots  and  irregular  lines  and 
blotches  of  brown.  The  outermost  ones  are  clove  brown  superimposed 
on  a  brown,  nearly  a  burnt  umber  in  shade  which  overlies  an  inner  set 
of  markings  varying  in  shade  from  a  drab-brown  to  a  smoke 'grey. 
Both  parent  birds  were  present  and  evinced  much  solicitude  for  their 
home. 

Birds  of  this  species  are  frequently  kept  in  cages  by  the  natives.  In 
the  market  place  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  they  bring  fancy  prices. 

GYMNOMYSTAX  MEXICANUS  (Linnaeus). 
Oriolus  mexicanus  L,.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  162. 
'Gymnomysta.v  mexicanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  p.  32. 

Native  name  Maisero.  Common  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Apure.  In  fresh  birds  the  eye  is  seal  brown,  bare  skin  about 
eye  black ;  bill  black ;  feet  black. 

When  I  reached  Ciudad  Bolivar  in  April  (1905),  great  flocks  of 
these  birds  were  to  be  seen  every  morning  and  evening  feeding  on  a 
swampy  piece  of  ground  just  back  of  the  city. 

A  nest  with  set  of  eggs  was  taken  at  Caicara,  May  8,  1907.  It  is  a 
somewhat  thick  walled  open  cup,  or  bowl-shaped  affair  constructed  of 
weed  and  grass  stems  and  having  the  nest  cavity  lined  with  medium 
coarse  rootlets.  The  materials  are  loosely,  but  neatly  woven  together. 
The  nest  measures  inside  5.5  cm.  in  depth  by  about  8.5  cm.  in  diameter; 
outside  ii  cm.  in  depth  by  17  cm.  in  diameter.  It  was  in  the  top 
of  a  Chaparo  oak  amid  the  thickly  tangled  branches  of  a  parasitic  plant 
about  6.10  m.  from  the  ground.  The  eggs,  three  in  number,  were  fresh. 
They  are  between  an  ovate  and  a  short  ovate  in  form,  and  measure 
26.5  x  20.5  ;  26  x  20  and  26.5  x  20  mm.  In  color  they  are  a  very  pale 
bluish  (pale  nile  blue)  marked  chiefly  about  the  larger  end,  with  dots, 
spots  and  blotches,  of  brown  varying  in  shade  from  a  clove-brown,  the 
outermost  markings,  through  burnt  umber  to  drab,  the  latter  underlying 
the  darker  markings. 

With  these  eggs  was  found  a  single  fresh  egg  of  the  Venezuelan 
Cowbird,  Molothrus  venezuelensis. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2OQ 

While  the  set  of  eggs  and  nest  above  described  were  being  collected 
both  parent  birds  were  present  and  much  excited.  No  other  nests  of 
the  species  were  found  in  the  same  neighborhood. 

In  the  American  Museum  is  a  series  of  birds  of  this  species  col- 
lected at  Mar-ipa  on  the  Caura  River  by  Klages  during  February,  May 
and  June. 

XANTHOSOMUS  ICTEROCEPHAUJS  (Linnaeus). 

Oriolns  icterocephalus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  163. 
Xanthosomus  icterocephalus  Cabanis,  Mus.  Hein.,  i,  1851.  p.  189. 
Agelaeus  icterocephalus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  32. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  seal  brown;  bill  slate  black;  feet  black. 

Common  in  flocks  at  Altagracia  and  at  Ouiribana  de  Caicara,  frorrt 
November  to  January ;  noted  at  Caicara  once  in  April.  An  adult  female 
was  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  in  April ;  an  adult  male  was  taken  near 
the  mouth  of  the  San  Feliz  River  on  the  Cuchivero  River  the  I5th  of 
May.  Observed  in  small  numbers  above  the  falls  of  Maipures  during 
December.  Klages  sent  a  pair  to  the  American  Museum  that  were  col- 
lected on  the  Caura  River  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Meta  in  January. 

STURNELLA  MAGNA  MERIDIONALIS  Sclater. 
Sturnella  meridionalis  Scl.,  Ibis,  1861.  p.  179. 
Sturnella  magna  meridionalis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  32. 

Native  name  Mochila  vacia.  In  life  the  colors  are :  eye  seal-brown ; 
bill  black  above,  mandible  and  basal  part  of  cutting  edge  of  maxilla 
plumbeous  grey,  tip  of  mandible  blackish  slate ;  feet  drab  grey.  Com- 
mon on  the  savannas.  Habits  similar  to  those  of  our  own  Meadow- 
larks.  While  Sturnella  is  common  on  open  savanna  districts  bordering 
the  river  all  the  way  from  below  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  the  region  above  the 
falls,  the  birds  found  on  the  upper  river,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Meta 
onward,  are  decidedly  smaller  and  darker  colored  than  those  found  on 
the  middle  stretches  of  the  river. 

LEISTES  MILITARIS  (Linnaeus). 

Tanagra  militaris  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  pp.  162,  316. 
Leistcs  militaris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  33. 

Common  on  the  savannas  but  rather  difficult  to  approach.  Not 
observed  farther  up  the  river  than  the  mouth  of  the  Apure. 


2IO  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

LAMPROPSAR  TANAGRINUS  GUIANENSIS  Cabanis. 

Icterus  tanagrinus  Spix.  Av.  Brasil.  I.  1824.  p.  67. 

Lampropsar  guianensis  Cab.  in  Schomb.  Reise  Brit.  Guiana  III.  1848. 

p.  682. 
Lampropsar  tanagrinus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  33. 

The  writer  observed  this  species  only  on  the  upper  river  above  the 
falls  of  Maipures,  where  it  was  common.  Beebe  on  a  recent  expedition 
secured  a  specimen  at  Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco  delta1.  However,  the 
species  has  been  previously  recorded  from  the  same  point  by  Hellmayr.2 

I  was  informed  by  the  natives  that  this  species  builds  a  hanging 
nest,  similar  to  those  of  Cacicus,  but  was  unable  to  verify  the  statement. 

CASSIDIX  ORYZIVORA  ORYZIVORA  (Gmelin). 

Oriolus  orysivorus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  386. 
Cassidix  oryzivorus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  33. 

A  single  specimen  was  taken  at  Caicara  June  28,  1898.  Not  seen 
elsewhere. 

MOLOTHRUS  BONARIENSIS  VENEZUELENSIS   Stone. 

Molothrus  venesuelensis  Stone,  Auk.  VIII.  1891.  p.  347. 
Molothrus  bonariensis  venezuelensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  33. 

Common  in  the  open  country  along  the  lower  and  middle  stretches 
of  the  river.  At  Ciudad  Bolivar,  in  April,  it  was  associating  in  flocks 
with  Gymnomystax  mexicanus  and  Holoquiscalus  lugubris. 

Three  breeding  females,  as  indicated  by  the  active  condition  of  the 
ovaries,  collected  at  Caicara,  one  May  i5th,  another  June  I2th  and  the 
third,  June  I3th,  are  almost  exactly  uniform  in  size.  The  measurements 
of  the  one  taken  May  15,  1907  (No.  4861,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum), 
being  wing  102  mm.,  tail  78  mm.,  exposed  culmen  17  mm.,  depth 
of  bill  at  nostrils  8  mm.  Above,  the. three  are  also  almost  of  identically 
the  same  shade  of  dusky  brownish,  the  individual  feathers  being 
brownish  black  bordered  with  dusky  greyish;  below,  the  three  present 
a  quite  distinct  appearance.  No.  4861  (Bklyn.  Inst.  Mus.),  is  greyish 
hair  brown,  faintly  washed  on  the  breast  and  sides  with  olive  yellowish 

»In  the  (British  Mus.)  Catalogue  of  Birds  XI.  1886.  p.  389.  Trinidad  is  included  in  the  list  of  localities. 
But  it  is  not  in  Chapman's  list  nor  in  that  of  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  pp.  1-60,  not  even  in  his 
hypothetical  list. 

'Revision  der  Spixschen  Typen  brasilianischer  Vogel.  Munchen  Abh.  Ak.  Wiss.  math.-phys.  Kl.  1906. 
p.  22;  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.  1907.  p.  46. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  211 

which  blends  into  the  color  of  the  chin  and  upper  throat  which  is 
olive  yellow.  No.  4862  (Bklyn.  Inst  Mus.),  is  of  a  somewhat 
lighter  shade  of  greyish  hair  brown ;  the  olive  yellowish  wash  is  perhaps 
a  trifle  more  pronounced,  but  does  not  extend  on  to  the  chin  or  the 
throat  which  is  pale,  dusky  grey.  This  specimen  is  further  distinguished 
from  the  other  two  examples  by  distinct  dusky  shaft  streaks  on  the 
feathers  of  the  breast  and  sides.  No.  4863  (Bklyn.  Inst.  Mus.),  is 
nearly  uniform  greyish  hair  brown,  with  only  a  trace  of  olive  yellow 
wash  on  the  breast,  and  the  chin  and  upper  throat  scarcely  any  paler 
than  the  belly. 

Eggs  that  are  believed  to  be  of  this  species  were  taken  on  two  occasions. 
One,  with  a  nest  and  set  of  eggs  of  Gymnomystax  mexicanus,  was  col- 
lected at  Caicara  May  8,  1907.  This  egg  was  fresh.  It  is  short  ovate 
in  form  and  measures  22  x  17  mm.  It  is  thickly  spotted  with  brown 
varying  in  shade  from  hazel  to  dark  chestnut;  the  lighter  markings  are 
overlaid  by  the  darker  ones  of  chestnut ;  about  the  larger  end  the 
whitish  ground  color  is  entirely  concealed. 

Two  fresh  eggs  taken  at  Caicara  July  2,  1907,  with  a  nest  and  set 
of  eggs  of  Synallaxis  cinnamomea,  are  short  ovate  in  form  and 
measure  21.5x17  and  21x16.5  mm.  They  are  similar  to  the  single 
egg  described  above,  but  have  the  entire  surface  thickly  covered  with 
the  hazel  and  chestnut  spots  but  not  uniting  at  any  point  to  conceal 
the  ground  color. 

HOLOQUISCALUS  LUGUBRis    (Swainson). 

Quiscalus  lugubris  Sws.,  Anim.  in  Menag.  1838.  p.  299;  Berlepsch  & 
Hartert,  p.  33. 

Native  name  Tordito.  During  my  stay  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  in  April 
(1905),  large  flocks  of  this  species  of  grackle  were  to  be  seen  feeding  in 
the  same  localities  with  Gynvnomystax  mexicanus  and  Moloihrus  bona- 
riensis  venezuelensis.  They  are  gregarious  at  all  seasons.  I  found  a 
small  colony  breeding  in  a  swamp  near  Caicara  early  in  June.  The 
nests  were  placed  in  the  tops  of  small  cabbage  palms,  the  Moriches  of 
the  natives,  four  and  five  nests  often  in  a  single  tree.  The  nests  are 
strongly  built,  first  having  a  foundation  of  dead  leaves  and  mud,  mixed ; 
then  there  is  a  superstructure  of  rather  coarse  dead  grass  and  weed 
stems  and  a  lining  of  moderately  fine  dead  plant  tendrils.  The  outside 
measurements  of  a  nest  now  before  me  which  was  collected  June  3,  1905, 


212  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE   BULLETIN   2.  6. 

are  about  17  cm.  in  diameter  by  10  cm.  in  depth;  inside  it  is  7  cm.  in 
diameter  by  6  cm.  in  depth.  The  eggs,  four  in  number,  taken  with  this 
nest  were  fresh.  They  are  typical  grackle  eggs  of  a  soiled  greenish 
white  color,  marked  with  spots,  dashes  and  irregular  streaks  of  blackish 
brown  on  an  underlying  rusty  brownish  wash.  They  are  ovate  in  form 
and  measure  25.75  x  18.5 ;  26.5  x  18.5  ;  25.5  x  18.5  and  24.75  x  J8-5  mm. 

Young  birds  just  from  the  nest  were  observed  on  this  same  date. 

The  colors  of  fresh  birds  are :  eye  straw  yellow ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

CORVIDAE— THE  CROWS  AND  JAYS. 

Only  two  jays  have  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco  region,  C \ano~ 
cora.v  violaceus  and  C.  cayanus.  Xanthura  yncas  caeruleocephala  is.  re- 
corded from  Trinidad  and  Venezuela1  and  is  consequently  included  in 
the  following  key. 

KEY  TO  THE  SPECIES  OF  CORVIDAE. 

a      Upper  parts  of  body  (except  head  and  neck)  uniform  green Xanlhura    yncas    caeruleo- 
cephala. 
a'.   Upper  parts  not  green. 

6.     Tail  uniform ;  no  white  tips Cyanocorax  violaceus. 

b'.    Tail  feathers  tipped  with  white Cyanocorax  cayanus. 

CYANOCORAX  VIOLACEUS  DuBus. 

Cyanocorax  violaceus  DuBus,  Bull.  Acad.  Brux.  XIV.  2.  1847.  p.  103 ; 

Berlepsch,  Ibis   1884.  p.  438    (Angostura)  ;    Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

P-  34- 

Native  names  Corobero;  Chuao.  A  common  species,  keeping  in 
the  tree  tops  wherever  there  is  tall  timber  along  the  water  courses ;  and 
frequenting  groves  of  mangos,  of  whose  ripe  fruit  it  is  very  fond.  It 
is  noisy  and  jay-like  in  its  actions. 

Colors  of  fresh  birds  are :  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

A  nest  and  five  fresh  eggs  were  taken  at  Caicara,  April  I2th.  The 
nest  was  about  9.15  m.  from  the  ground  in  the  top  of  a  tree  that  stood 
at  the  edge  of  a  grove  of  mangos.  It  was  held  between  upright  forks, 
was  somewhat  bulky  and  constructed  of  quite  large,  long,  dry  twigs  with 
a  lining  of  fine  root-like  vegetable  fibres.  .It  was  found  before  com- 
pletion and  visited  daily  until  the  five  eggs  were  laid,  these  being  de- 
posited on  five  consecutive  days.  They  are  a  bluish  white,  thickly 
speckled  all  over  with  various  shades  of  brown  from  vinaceous  to 


'Sharpe,  Cat.  Birds,  Brit.  Mus.  III.  1877.  p.  131. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  213 

chestnut,  the  darker  markings  overlying  the  others.  Ovate  in  form, 
the  eggs  measure  32.5  x  24.5  ;  33.25  x  24 ;  34  x  24 ;  33  x  24.25  and  32.5  x 
24  mm.  respectively. 

CYANOCORAX  CAYANUS   (Linnaeus). 

Corvus  cay  anus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  157. 
Cyanocorax  cayanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  34. 

According  to  Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  Klages  obtained  specimens  at 
Suapure  and  Andre  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura.  None  were  observed 
by  the  writer  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

TYRANNIDAE— THE    TYRANT-FLYCATCHERS,    KINGBIRDS. 

Sixty-nine  species  and  subspecies  of  Flycatchers  are  included  in  the 
present  list.  Several,  however,  such  as  Ornithion  inerme,  Tyrannulus  ela- 
tus,  Myiopagis  viridicata  viridicata,  M.  gaimardi,  M.  flovivertex,  and 
M.  cinerea  might  better  be  placed  with  the  Cotingidae.  But  as  they  were 
included  in  my  original  "key"  to  the  flycatchers  they  are  so  retained. 

Many  of  the  flycatchers  are  conspicuous  in  the  llanos  districts  of 
the  Orinoco  region,  conspicuous  alike  for  their  harsh  cries,  their  brilliant 
colors  (particularly  bright  yellows)  and  extraordinary  nesting  habits. 
As  nest  builders  they  have  few  rivals,  certain  species  constructing  deli- 
cate lichen  covered  affairs  as  tiny  and  trim  as  those  of  some  humming 
birds,  others  whose  nests  might  serve  as  models  for  the  weaver-birds, 
and  again  the  great  bulky  grass  nests,  such  as  those  of  Pitangus,  placed 
in  the  tree  tops  are  prominent  objects  in  the  landscape.  But  not  all  are 
birds  of  the  open  llanos,  many  are  quiet  and  retiring  both  in  dress  and 
disposition.  These  must  be  sought  for  in  the  semitwilight  of  the  thick 
forest  where  they  flit  about,  as  silent  as  the  shadows,  in  the  under- 
growth. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  TYRANNIDAE. 

a.     Tail  very  long  and  deeply  forked Muscivora  tyrannus. 

a'.    Tail  not  unusually  long  or  deeply  forked. 

b.     Chest  barred  with  olive  brown Onychorhynchus  coronalus. 

b'.    Chest  not  barred. 

c.     Under  parts  more  or  less  streaked  with  dusky  or  blackish. 

d.     Wing  less  than  60  mm Todirostrum  maculatum. 

d'.    Wing  more  than  60  mm. 

«.     A  well  marked  black  or  blackish  auricular  stripe. 

/.     Inner  web  of  tail-feathers  broadly  edged  with  rufous Myiodynastes  maculalus  macu- 

lalus. 

f.    Inner  webs  of  tail-feathers  not  broadly  edged  with  rufous, 
g.     Upper  tail-coverts  broadly  edged  with  rufous;  inner  webs 

of  tail  feathers  not  edged  with  rufous Empidonomus  varius. 

g'.    Upper  tail-coverts  not  edged  with  rufous;  inner  webs  of 

tail-feathers  narrowly  edged  with  rufous Legatus  albtcollts. 

e'.    No  black  or  blackish  auricular  stripe  (  d"  im.  or  9  ) Pyrocephalus  rubinus  satura- 

tHt. 


214  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 


c'.    Under  parts  not  streaked. 
d.     Under  parts  bright  red  (adult 


d'.   Under  parts  not  bright  red. 

«.     Throat,  middle  of  breast  and  belly  nearly  uniform  white  or 
very  pale  greyish  white. 

/.    Wing  more  than  90  mm 

/'.   Wing  less  than  90  mm. 

g.     Wings  and  tail  black  (with  or  without  white  markings). 
h.     Both  maxilla  and  mandible  black  to  the  base;  rectrices 

tipped  with  white 

h'.    Mandible  pale  at  base;  rectrices  not  white  tipped  (fe- 
male)   

g'.  Wings  and  tail  dusky  brownish  or  blackish 

e'.   Throat,  middle  of  breast  and  belly  not  uniform  white  or  very 

pale  greyish  white. 
/.     General  color  above  and  below  black  or  slate  black. 

g.     Head  white  (male) 

K1.    Head  not  white. 

h.     Outer  primaries  acuminate 

.  h'.    Outer  primaries  not  acuminate 

f.   General  color  above  and  below  not  black  or  slate  black. 
g.     A  prominent  white  or  yellow  superciliary  stripe  and  wing 

more  than  70  mm. 
h.     Superciliary  stripe  white. 

i.     Bill  less  than  15  mm.  from  the  nostrils  to  the  tip. 

j.     No  bright  colored  crown  patch 

j'.    With  a  bright  colored  crown  patch. 

k.     Inner  webs  of  wing-quills  edged  (broadly)  with 
rufous 

k'.    Inner  webs  of  wing-quills  not  edged  with  rufous . . 

«•'.    Bill  more  than  IS  mm.  from  the  nostrils  to  the  tip. 

jr.     Smaller;  wing  less  than  100  mm 

j'.    Larger;  wing  more  than  100  mm. 

k.     Culmen  strongly  decurved  from  base  to  tip 

k'.    Culmen  straight,  sharply  bent  at  tip  only. 

/.     Inner  webs  of  tail-feathers   almost   entirely 
rufous 

/'.    Inner  webs  of  tail-feathers  edged  (only)  with 
rufous — that  color  not  extending  to  the  shafts 

of  the  feathers 

h'.     Superciliary  stripe  yellow  (and  wing  more  than  70  mm.) 
«'.    No  prominent  white  or  yellow  superciliary  stripe,  or  wing 

less  than  70  mm. 
ti.     Rump  yellow. 

i.     Yellow  of  under  parts  suffused  with  fulvous,  and 

olive  green  of  back  less  intense 

»'.    Yellow  of  under  parts  brighter,  not  suffused  with 

fulvous,  and  back  deep  rich  olive  green 

h'.    Rump  not  yellow. 

i.    Width  of  bill  at  nostrils  equal  to  or  greater  than  dis- 
tance from  the  nostrils  to  the  tip  of  the  bill. 
j.     Coronal  patch  red;  general  color  above  rich  olive 

brown,  darker  on  the  head 

j'.   Without  coronal  patch,  general  color  above  dark 

olive  green 

»'.    Width  of  bill  at  nostrils  not  equal  to  distance  from 

the  nostrils  to  the  tip  of  the  bill. 
j.     Outstretched  feet  reaching  to  or  beyond  the  end  of 
the  tail. 
k.     Tail  more  than  half  as  long  as  wing 

k'.    Tail  less  than  half  as  long  as  wing 

j'.   Outstretched  feet  not  reaching  to  the  end  of  the 

tail. 
*.     The  three  or  four  outer  primaries  much  reduced 

in  size. 
/.     With   a   well   developed    crest — three   outer 

primaries  reduced 

/'.    Not  crested — four  outer  primaries  reduced 

k'.    Outer  primaries  not  greatly  reduced  in  size. 
/.    A  more  or  less  prominent  sometimes  concealed 

or  partially  concealed  crown  patch. 
m.     Smaller,  wing  less  than  80  mm. 


Pyrocephalus  rubinus  satura- 
tus. 


Tyrannus  dominicensis. 


Fluvicola  pica. 


Arundinicola  leucocephala. 
Serpophaga  hypoleuta. 


Arundinicola  leucocephala. 


Knipolegus  pusillus. 
Knipolegus  orenocensis. 


Conopias  inornate. 


Myiozeletes    cayennensis    cay- 

ennensis. 
Myiozetetes     texensis     colum- 

bianus. 

Pitangus  lictor. 

Megarhynchus  pitangua  pitan- 
gua. 


Pitangus  sulphuralus  rufipen- 
nis. 


Pitangus  sulphuratus  trinitatis 
Sisopygis  icterophrys. 


Myiobius  modestus. 
Myiobius  barbalus  barbatus. 


Platytriccus  saturalus. 
Craspedoprion  intermedius. 


Todirostrum    cinereum    cit 

turn. 
Perissotriccus  ecaudatus. 


Colopteryx  galeatus. 
Atalotriccus    pilaris    venezue- 
lensis. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 


2I5 


«.     With  pale  tips  to  wing-coverts  forming 
wing-bands. 

o.     Wing  less  than  55  mm 

o'.    Wing  more  than  55  mm. 

p.  Centre  of  abdomen  bright  sulphur 
yellow — crown  patch  large  bordered 
laterally  with  black  or  blackish 

p'.    Centre  of  abdomen  pale  primrose 

yellow  or  pale  yellowish  white. 
q.     Feathers  of  crown  elongated,  form- 
ing a  crest 

q'.    Feathers  of  crown  not  elongated 
into  a  crest. 

r.     Centre  of  belly  whitish 

r'.    Centre  of  belly  pale  primrose 
yellow 

n'.    No  wing-bands 

m'.   Wing  more  than  80  mm. 

n.     Throat  nearly  uniform  yellow  with  breast 
n'.    Throat  grey — not  uniform  with  breast. 

o.     Crown  patch  orange  yellow 

o'.  Crown  patch  scarlet  (bordered  with 
orange) 

/'.    No  concealed   or  partially    concealed  crown 

patch. 
m.     Outer  webs  of  outer  rectrices  pale  dirty 

whitish  or  pale  yellowish. 
n.     Above  greyish  olive  brown;  below,  throat 
greyish  white,  belly  pale  primrose  yellow. 
n'.   Above  dusky  olive,  below  sulphur  yel- 
low with  a  buffy  wash  on  the  breast 

m'.   Outer  webs  of  outer  rectrices  not  con- 
spicuously lighter  colored  than  the  inner 
webs. 
n.     Bright  olive  green  above. 

o.     Pileum  slate  grey  in  marked  contrast 

with  olive  green  of  back. 
p.     Larger;   tail  about  equal  to  wing 

(Trinidad) 

p'.    Smaller;  tail  less  than  wing 

o'.  Pileum  not  slate  grey,  or  if  grey  or 
dusky  not  in  sharp  contrast  with  olive 
greenish  back. 

p.     Abdomen  bright  tawny  olive 


p'.    Abdomen  not  tawny  olive. 

q.    Throat  distinctly  grey  rather  than 

yellow  or  olive  yellow 

q'.    Throat  yellow  or  yellowish  olive. 
r.     A  distinct  yellow  or  yellowish 

superciliary  streak 

r'.    No  superciliary  stripe. 

s.     Throat     and     breast     olive 

yellow. 

/.     Mandible    blackish    horn- 
color,  whitish  at  base  only. . 


t'.    Mandible    nearly    uniform 
from  tip  to  base  (pale  dusky 
horn-color.) 
«.     Darker,  pileum  and  hind 

neck  deep  slate  color Khynchoc 


Tyrannulus  elatus. 


Myiopagis    gaimardi  gaimar- 


I  Elaenia  martinica  flavogaslra. 
\Elaenia  cristata. 


Elaenia  albiceps  parvirostris. 

Elaenia  chiriquensis  chiriquen- 

sis. 
Myiopagis  viridicata  viridicata 

Machelornis  rixosa  flavigularis 
Tyrannopsis  sulphureus. 

Tyrannus  melancholicus  satra- 
Pa. 


Xenopsaris  albinucha. ' 
Inezia  caudala. 


Leptopoton  superciliaris. 
Todiroslrum  schistaceiceps. 


Pipromorpha  oleagineus  olea- 
gineus. 

Pipromorpha  oleagineus  palli- 
diventris. 


Ornithion  pusillum  napaeum. 
Capsiempis  fiaveola. 


Rhynchocydus     sulphurescens 
klagesi. 


u'.    Paler,  pileum  and  hind- 
neck  slate  grey 

s'.  Throat  and  breast  chrome  or 
lemon  yellow  with  a  faint 
ochraceous  wash 

n'.    Not  bright  olive  green  above. 


hocyclus 
milis. 


sulphurescens 


Rhynchocydus     sulphurescens 
sulphurescens. 


Rhynchocydus  flaviventris  fla- 
viventris. 


'This  is  out  of  place  here,  as  Xenopsaris  belongs  with  the  Colingidae. 


2l6  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 


.     Belly  and  crissum  bright  ochraceous 
buff  .............................. 

'.    Belly  not  ochraceous  buff. 

p.     Pileum  black  or  blackish  in  rather 

marked  contrast  with  the  olive  green 

back  and  both  maxilla  and  mandible 

black  ........................... 

p'.    Pileum   not  black  nor  blackish  in 

marked  contrast  with  the  olive  green 

back;  or  else  mandible  pale. 

q.     Inner  webs  of  rectrices  edged  with 

rufous  ........................ 

q'.    Inner  webs  of  rectrices  not  edged 

with  rufous. 

r.     Throat  and  upper  breast  grey 
not  separated  by  a  darker  band 
of  olive  or  olive  greyish  from 
the  yellow  or  pale  yellow  of  the 
belly. 

s.     With  more  or  less  well  defined 
wing-bands  formed  by  light 
tips  to  greater  and   median 
coverts. 

t.     Tips  to  wing-coverts  cinna- 
mon brown  .............. 

t'.   Tips   to  wing-coverts  pale 
greyish  or  buff  y  white  ..... 

s'.    No  well  denned  wing-  bands  .  . 

r'.   Breast   olive   or   olive   greyish 

separating  grey  of  throat  from 

pale    yellowish    or    whitish    of 

belly. 

s.     With  prominent  well  defined 

cinnamon  brown  wing-bands.  . 

t.     If  wing-bands  are  present 

they     are     not     cinnamon 

brown  (pale  whitish,  yellow- 

ish or  dusky). 

u.     Mandible  almost  wholly 
black  or  blackish  ....... 

u'.    Mandible  almost  wholly 

pale  or  dusky. 
v.     Middle   of   belly   and 
crissum  a  rather  bright 
pale  yellow  .......... 

v1.    Middle   of   belly   and 
crissum  only  faintly  if 
at    all    washed    with 
yellowish. 

w.     Tarsus     less     than 
one-fifth  as  long  as 
wing  ............. 

w'.  Tarsus  more  than 
one-fifth  as  long  as 
wing  ............. 


Terenotriccus    erythrurus    ery- 
thrums. 


Myiarchus  tuberculifer. 


Myiarchus  tyrannulus. 


Phaeomyias  murina  incompta. 


Sublegatus  brevirostris  glaber. 
Myiarchus  ferox  venezuelensis. 


Empidocha  nes  cabanisi. 


Empidochanes  arenaceus. 


Empidonax  laivrencei. 


Myiochanes  brachytarsus. 
Elaenia  cristaia. 


FLUVICOLA  PICA  (Boddaert). 
Muscicapa  pica  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  42. 
Fluvicola  pica  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  34. 

Native  name  Viudita.  Common,  frequenting  the  edges  of  ponds 
and  streams  and  keeping  to  the  low  underbrush. 

Not  observed  above  the  mouth  of  the  Meta. 

In  life  the  eye  is  seal  brown  ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

Birds  in  immature  plumage  have  the  primaries  and  secondaries 
dusky  brownish  with  the  white  tips  and  edgings  that  are  so  prominent 
in  the  adults,  nearly  obsolete  ;  top  of  head  blackish  with  browmsft  wash  ; 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  217 

back   dusky  sepia  brown,  the   feathers  with  greyish  bases ;  the  longer 
upper  tail-coverts  with  blackish  or  brownish  tips. 

ARUNDINICOLA  LEUCOCEPHALA  (Linnaeus). 

Pipra  leucocephala  L.,  Mus.  Ad.  Frid.  II.  Prod.  1764.  p.  33. 
Amndinicola  leucocephala  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  34. 

Less  common  than  the  preceding  species,  and  like  that  species  lives 
near  the  water  especially  in  grassy  marshes  with  scattering  clumps  of 
bushes  and  trees  where  it  is  as  likely  to  be  seen  in  the  tree  tops  as 
among  the  bushes.  It  is  active  and  flycatcher-like  in  habits. 

Adult  birds  have  the  eye  seal  brown;  bill  black  above,  yellowish 
below  with  the  tip  blackish;  feet  black.  Young  males  resemble  the 
female. 

A  just  completed  nest  of  this  species  was  found  at  Caicara  on  the 
ipth  of  May.  It  was  in  the  top  of  a  small  dead  Moriche  palm-tree 
about  7.6  m.  from  the  ground.  Built  of  soft  dry  grasses,  it  was  globular 
in  form  and  about  18  cm.  in  diameter,  with  a  small  round  entrance  hok 
in  the  middle  on  one  side.  Unfortunately  no  eggs  had  been  deposited 
when  I  cut  the  palm.  Close  beside  the  birds'  nest  was  a  nest  of  wasps. 
A  second  nest  of  Amndinicola  leucocephala  in  process  of  construction 
was  placed  in  the  upright  forks  of  a  low  shrub  that  grew  near  the  edge 
of  an  extensive  marsh.  The  nest  was  about  91.5  cm.  from  the  ground, 
just  above  the  top  of  the  long  marsh  grass  surrounding  the  bushes. 

PYROCEPHALUS  RUBINUS  SATURATUS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Pyrocephalus  rubinus  saturatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX. 

1902.  p.  34  (Type,  Altagracia,  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela). 

Native  name  Sangre  de  Toro.  Common,  frequenting  the  clumps 
of  trees  in  open  savanna  regions. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Caicara  I  found  many  nests  of  this  species. 
They  were  usually  in  scrub  oak  from  1.52  m.  to  3.5  m.  from  the  ground, 
nearly  always  at  forks  well  away  from  the  body  of  the  tree,  and  usually 
on  one  of  the  larger  lower  limbs.  In  no  instance  have  I  found  them 
in  any  way  concealed  by  surrounding  leaves.  The  nests  are  neatly 
rounded,  shallow  cups  set  loosely  in  the  forks  of  the  supporting  limbs. 
The  materials  used  are  rather  short  bits  of  dead  grass,  weed-stems 
and  twigs,  all  presenting  a  brownish  gray  color  in  close  harmony  with 
the  grayish  bark  of  the  supporting  branches.  There  is  an  inside  lining 


2l8  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

of  small  feathers  with  an  occasional  bit  of  gray  lichen.  A  nest  before 
me,  collected  on  the  I9th  of  May,  measures  inside  4.5  cm.  in  diameter 
by  i  cm.  in  depth.  I  have  never  found  more  than  two  eggs  in  a  nest. 
In  a  set,  taken  April  2Qth  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  they  are  short  ovate 
in  form,  pale  bluish  white  in  color  marked  with  two  sets  of  rather  large 
spots  about  the  larger  end.  The  underlying  spots  are  cinereous,  the 
superimposed  ones  blackish  brown.  They  measure  17.75  x  13.75  and 
18  x  14.2  mm. 

Nesting  birds  are  very  confiding.  I  have  on  several  occasions 
touched  a  brooding  female  before  she  would  leave  the  nest. 

OCHTHORNIS   LITTORALIS    (Pelzeln). 

Blainea  littoralis  Pelz.,  Orn.  Bras.  1868.  pp.  108,  180. 
Ochthornis  littoralis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  35. 

Only  one  specimen  observed,  an  adult  female  taken  at  Bichaco 
midway  between  the  mouth  of  the  river  Meta  and  the  falls  of  Atures, 
September  18,  1898.  Specimens  have  been  taken  also  on  the  Caura 
River,  at  Suapure  and  La  Pricion  by  Klages,  and  at  Nicare  by  Andre. 

SlSOPYGIS  ICTEROPHRYS    (Vieillot). 

Muscicapa  icterophrys  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XII.  1817.  p.  458. 
Sisopygis  icterophrys  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  35. 

Only  the  single  specimen,  recorded  by  Berlepsh  and  Hartert,  was 
collected ;  an  adult  female  taken  at  Altagracia,  September  19,  1898.  Not 
again  observed. 

KNIPOLEGUS  ORENOCENSIS  Berlepsch. 

Cnipolegus  orenocensis  Berlepsch,  Ibis.   1884.  p.  433.  PI.  XII.   (Angos- 
tura) ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   35    (Ciudad  Bolivar,   Venezuela). 
The  type  of  this  species  came  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  (Angostura), 
where  specimens  were  secured  on  the  last  Museum  expedition,  but  it 
was  observed  more  frequently  about  Altagracia  and  at  Caicara;  it  was 
not  noted  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  River. 

A  bird  in  Juvenal  plumage  taken  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad 
Bolivar,  April  1 3th,  is  a  dark  dusky  olive  brown  above;  the  wings  and 
tail  brownish  black  narrowly  edged  with  pale  brownish  (raw  umber)  ; 
greater  and  median  wing-coverts  tipped  with  raw  umber  brown;  below 
greyish  hair  brown,  belly  brownish  or  buffy  brownish  white. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2IQ 

The  fresh  colors  of  adult  birds  are :  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  plumbeous ; 
feet  black. 

This  species  frequents  the  thickets  bordering  the  streams  and  ponds. 
Its  actions  are  much  like  those  of  Sayornis. 

KNIPOLEGUS  PUSILLUS  Sclater  &  Salvin. 

Cnipolegus  pusillus  Scl.   &   Salv.,   Nomencl.  Av.   Neotr.    1873.  p.    158; 
Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  36. 

Observed  only  in  the  vicinity  of  the  falls  of  Atures  where  two  males 
that  were  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  and  recorded  by  Berlepsch  & 
Hartert,  were  taken  in  September,  1898. 

MACHETORNIS  RIXOSA  FLAVIGULARIS  Todd. 

Tyrannus  rixosus  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXXV.  1819.  p.  85. 

Machetornis  rixosa  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  36. 

Machetornis  rixosa  flavigularis  Todd.,  Ann.  Carnegie  Mus.  VIII.  1912. 

p.  210  (Type   $ ,  Tocuys,  Lara,  Venezuela,  in  Carnegie  Museum). 

Native  name,  Pajaro  amarillo  jinetero.  A  common,  although  not 
abundant  species,  inhabiting  the  open  and  sparsely  wooded  savanna 
regions.  While  it  is  neither  noisy  nor  brilliant  in  plumage,  its  curious 
habit  of  keeping  on  the  ground  close  about  domesticated  animals,  as 
they  wander  about  the  savannas  and  open  commons  of  the  villages,  is 
certain  to  attract  attention.  Or,  if  not  intent  on  capturing  the  insects 
that  are  constantly  fluttering  up  from  the  grass,  these  birds  are  sure 
to  be  seen  contentedly  riding  about  on  the  back  of  some  animal. 
About  Altagracia  and  Caicara  I  observed  them  riding  on  the  backs 
of  dogs,  pigs,  cattle,  horses  and  burros. 

A  female  taken  May  9th  was  brooding. 

Adult  birds  have  the  eye  saturn  red ;  bill  black ;  feet  blackish. 

Not  observed  above  Caicara. 

PLATYTRICCUS  GRISEICEPS  (Salvin). 

Platyrhynchus   griseiceps  -Salv.,    Bull.    B.   O.   Club,   VII.    1897.   p.    15; 
Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  37. 

Specimens  were  sent  from  points  on  the  Caura  River  to  the  Tring 
Museum  by  Klages  from  Suapure,  and  by  Andre  from  Nicare  and 
La  Pricion. 


220  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

PLATYTRICCUS  MYSTACEUS  INSULARIS   (Allen). 

Platyrhynchus  insularis  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  II  1889.  p. 

143  (Type,  Tobago). 
Platyrhynchus  mystaceus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  37   (Caicara  on  the 

Orinoco  and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River). 
Platyrhynchus  mystaceus  insularis  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.,  XIII.   1906, 

p.  22  (Caicara,  Orinoco). 
Platytriccus  insularis  Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVIII,  1905,  p. 

211. 

Mr.  Hellmayr  in  his  paper  on  the  Birds  of  Trinidad1  considered 
the  birds  from  the  Orinoco  (Caicara).  as  intermediate  between  the 
typical  mystaceus  and  mystaceus  insularis,  but  the  series  in  this  Museum 
and  that  of  the  American  Museum  does  not  confirm  that  opinion.  I  am 
unable  to  find  any  differences  between  birds  from  Caicara  (on  the 
upper  river),  or  birds  from  Las  Barrancas  (in  the  delta  region),  and 
birds  from  Trinidad. 

Adult  birds  have  the  eye  seal  brown;  bill,  maxilla  black,  and 
mandible  pinkish  flesh  color;  feet  delicate  greyish  flesh  white,  claws 
greyish  white.  In  an  immature  male  taken  at  Las  Barrancas  August  3. 
1907,  both  mandible  and  maxilla  are  blackish. 

This  little  flycatcher  frequents  the  undergrowth  in  heavily  wooded 
districts. 

PLATYTRICCUS  SATURATUS  (Salvin  &  Godman). 
Platyrhynchus  saturatus  Salv.  &  Godm.,  Ibis.  1882.  p.  78;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  37. 

On  the  writer's  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco,  a  single  specimen 
was  collected  at  Nericagua  above  the  falls  of  Maipures ;  this  and 
specimens  collected  by  Andre  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura,  were 
recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  (/.  c.~). 

TODIROSTRUM   ciNEREUM   ciNEREUM    (Linnaeus). 
Todus  cinereus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  178. 
Todirostrum  cinereum  Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  p.  37. 

Common,  frequenting  second  growth  clearings,  and  the  thickets  and 
low  trees  on  the  borders  of  open  savannas. 

Adults  have  the  eye  straw  yellow ;  bill  black  above,  whitish  below ; 
feet  plumbeous. 


!Novit.  Zool.  XIII    1906.  p.  22. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  221 

Three  nests  and  -sets  of  eggs  were  taken  at  Caicara  in  1905.  The 
first  set  of  eggs,  collected  May  nth,  shows  more  variation  than  the 
others.  Two  of  the  three  eggs  are  ovate  in  form  and  one  is  elongate 
ovate.  They  are  white  without  gloss,  two  of  them  with  a  few  tiny 
brownish  spots  on  the  larger  end,  the  third  with  the  larger  end  sparsely 
marked  with  wood-brown  spots.  The  eggs  of  this  set  measure  i6x  n; 
17.25  xn  and  16.5  x  11.25  mm-  On  the  i8th  of  June  two  sets  of  three 
eggs  each  were  taken.  One  set  is  white  without  any  markings,  ovate 
in  form  and  measure  16.25  x  II-I5!  l^-7S  x  IT-T5  and  :5-75  x  11.5  mm. 
One  of  the  eggs  of  the  second  set,  taken  on  the  i8th,  has  a  very  few  tiny 
brownish  spots  about  the  larger  end,  the  other  two  are  without  mark- 
ings. These  are  ovate  in  form  and  measure  15.75  x  ll-25>  l&  x  H-5; 
and  16  x  11.5  mm. 

The  three  nests  display  considerable  individuality  in  the  respective 
builders  both  in  the  selection  of  materials  and  in  the  details  of  con- 
struction, although  the  general  characteristics  are  the  same  in  each  case. 
In  another  place1  I  have  described  nests  of  this  species  that  were  taken 
in  Costa  Rica,  and  the  descriptions  there  given  would  apply  equally  to 
the  ones  from  the  Orinoco  before  me  now. 

Two  adult  females  taken  April  ist  and  3rd  respectively,  at  Ciudad 
Bolivar,  show  small  white  partially  concealed  crown  spots  formed  by 
white  bases  to  some  of  the  crown  feathers. 

This  species  was  not  observed  beyond  Caicara. 

TODIROSTRUM  MACULATUM   (Desmarest). 
Todus  maculatus  Desmarest,  Hist.  Nat.  Tang.  1805.  (hab.  "Guiane"). 

In  the  collection  made  by  Mr.  C.  Wm.  Beebe  at  Guanoco,  Orinoco 
delta,  is  an  example  of  this  species. 

TODIROSTRUM  SCHIST  ACEICEPS  Sclater. 
Todirostrum  schistaceiceps  Scl.,  Ibis,  1859.  p.  444;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert 

P-  37- 

Only  a  trifle  less  common  than  T.  dncreum,  but  unlike  that  species 
it  frequents  the  undergrowth  of  the  heavily  forested  regions,  and  while 
common  at  Caicara  and  points  higher  up  the  river  it  was  not  seen  any- 
where below  that  point. 

In  life  the  eye  varies  from  a  sepia  to  a  chocolate  brown ;  bill  black ; 
feet  drab  grey. 

'Auk.     VII.  1890.  p.  233- 


222  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

On  our  last  expedition  three  nests  and  sets  of  eggs  together  with 
the  parent  birds  were  collected.  All  were  found  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Caicara.  The  first  taken  June  I5th  contained  two  fresh  eggs.  One 
is  elongate  ovate  the  other  ovate  in  form.  They  measure  17.5x12  mm. 
and  16  x  12.2  mm.  respectively.  In  color  they  are  white  with  a  slight 
creamy  tinge,  marked  about  the  larger  end  with  small  dots  and  irregular 
blotches  cf  brown,  varying  from  a  light  hazel  to  a  dark  chestnut. 

The  nest  looks  exactly  like  a  handful  of  broad-leaved  drift  grasses 
suspended  from  the  tip  of  a  'slender  drooping  twig.  The  structure  is  45 
an.  in  length  and  12  cm.  in  greatest  diameter  where  the  nest  cavity 
is  situated.  There  is  no  extension  built  out  over  the  entrance  to  the 
nest  cavity  such  as  is  seen  in  nearly  all  nests  of  T.  cinereum,  but  only 
the  round  entrance  partially  concealed  by  loose  blades  of  dead  grasses 
hanging  down  over  it.  The  grass  blades  forming  the  outer  covering 
on  the  upper  half  of  the  nest  all  hang  straight  down  over  the  sides, 
forming  a  perfect  thatch.  I  imagine  that  the  structure  will  shed  water 
perfectly.  The  nest  cavity  is  shallow,  hollowed  only  a  little  below  the 
entrance.  There  is  a  nest  lining  of  fine  soft  grasses.  This  nest  was 
suspended  barely  75.72  cm.  above  the  ground.  It  was  in  the  centre  of  a 
thicket  of  undergrowth  in  the  heavily  forested  belt  of  timber  along  the 
river  bank. 

The  parent  birds  were  exceedingly  shy,  and  not  until  after  an  hour's 
waiting  was  I  able  to  make  sure  of  the  owner's  identity  and  to  collect 
the  male  parent. 

The  second  nest  was  found  June  iQth.  It  contained  only  one  egg 
and  that  with  incubation  far  advanced.  This  egg  is  ovate  in  form  and 
measures  17x12  mm.  The  ground  color  is  similar  to  the  two  de- 
scribed above,  but  the  markings  consist  of  tiny  dots  and  some  larger 
spots  of  dark  chestnut  brown  scattered  over  the  entire  surface  of  the 
egg,  but  most  thickly  about  the  larger  end.  The  nest  was  in  the  centre 
of  a  thicket  that  bordered  a  pool  of  water  in  the  thick  forest.  It  was 
suspended  from  the  extreme  tip  of  a  slender  twig,  that  bent  out  over 
the  water,  and  only  about  91.5  cm.  above  its  surface. 

The  female  parent  was  seen  to  fly  from  the  nest,  and  was  then  col- 
lected. 

The  third  and  last  nest  collected  was  taken  June  29th.  It  contained 
two  eggs  in  which  incubation  was  far  advanced.  One  egg  is  ovate;  the 
other  is  longer,  nearly  an  elongate  ovate.  The  two  eggs  measure 
17.25  x  12.5  mm.  and  18.5  x  12.5  mm.  respectively.  They  are  a  little 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  223 

more  heavily  marked   than  the  first  set.     The  nest  was  located  in  a 
locality  exactly  similar  to  that  last  described. 

From  this  material  it  would  seem  that  two  eggs  is  the  normal 
clutch  for  this  species.  The  three  nests  are  very  similar  to  one  another. 

TAENIOTRICCUS  ANDREI  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Taeniotriccus  andrei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  38. 

(Type,  La  Pricion,  Caura  River,  Venezuela,  Tring  Museum). 

The  type  of  this  species,  collected  by  Mr.  Andre  is,  I  believe,  unique. 
The  specimen,  now  in  the  Tring  Museum,  was  taken  at  La  Pricion,  on 
the  Caura  River,  February  18,  1901. 

PERISSOTRICCUS  ECAUDATUS  (Lafresnaye  &  D'Orbigny). 

Todirostrum  ecaudatum  Lafr.  &  D'Orb.  in  Mag.  Zool.  VII.  1837.  p.  47 
(Yuracares,  Bolivia). 

Or chilus  ecaudatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  39  (Munduapo,  Upper  Ori- 
noco and  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

Perissotriccus  ecaudatus  Oberholser,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XXV,  1902, 
p.  64. 
Only  a  single  specimen  of  this  species  has  been  taken  by  the  writer 

in  the  Orinoco  region.     An  adult  male  was  taken  at  Munduapo  on  the 

upper  Orinoco,   March   15,   1899,  and  Klages  collected  an  example  at 

Suapure  on  the  Caura  River.     Colors  of  the  fresh  bird  were,  eye  sepia 

brown;  bill  black;  feet  mouse  grey. 

ATALOTRICCUS  PILARIS  VENEZUELENSIS  Ridgway. 
Colopteryx  pilaris  Cab.;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  39.     (Points  on  the 

Orinoco,  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Quiribana  de  Caicara, 

Maipures.) 
Atalotriccus  pilaris  venezuelensis  Ridgw.,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XIX. 

1906.  p.  115. 

Common  in  the  thickly  wooded  areas  along  the  river  banks  from 
Ciudad  Bolivar  to  above  the  falls  of  Maipures. 

Adults  have  the  eye  straw  yellow ;  bill  blackish  with  pale  edges  and 
extreme  basal  part  of  the  mandible  pale;  feet  cinerous  gray. 

COLOPTERYX  GALEATUS  (Boddaert). 
Motacilla  galeata  Bodd.,  Tab.  PL  Enl.  1783.  p.  24. 
Colopteryx  galeatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  39. 


224  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

This,  like  the  preceding  species,  is  found  all  along  the  river  from 
Ciudad  Bolivar  to  beyond  the  falls  of  Maipures,  but  is  much  less 
common. 

HABRURA  PECTORALIS  BREVIPENNIS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Habrura  pectoralis  brevipennis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX. 

1902.  p.  40. 

This  must  be  a  very  rare  form  in  the  Orinoco  region.  The  writer 
secured  the  type  specimen  at  Caicara,  April  26,  1898.  It  was  the  only 
example  taken  during  that  expedition  and  none  have  been  since  met 
with. 

The  type  is  said  to  differ  from  H.  pectoralis  in  having  shorter  wings, 
only. 

Mr.  Ridgway1  has  suggested  that  "Habrura  might  not  be  out  of 
place  in  the  Cotingidae,"  but  some  recent  studies  of  my  own  of  the 
tarsi  of  Mesomyodian  birds,  chiefly  flycatchers,  have  persuaded  me  that 
for  the  present  at  least  Habrura  may  be  safely  left  with  the  Tyrannidae. 

INEZIA2    CAUDATA    (Salvhl). 

Capsiempis  caudata  Salvin,  Bull.  Brit.  Orn.  Club.    VII.  No.  48.   1897. 

p.   xvi.   '(Ourumee,   Brit.   Guiana);  Ibis.    1898.   p.    154   (reprint); 

Ridgway,  Birds  N.  &  M.  Am.  IV.  1907.  p.  467. 
Capsiempsis  caudata  Sharpe,  Hand-list  III.  1901.  p.  117. 
Serpophaga  orinocensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  40  (Altagracia,  Caicara, 

Quiribana  de  Caicara,  Orinoco,  Venez.) 
Serpophaga  caudata  (Salvin),  apud  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906. 

P-  323- 

Inezia    caudata    Cherrie,     Sci.     Bull.     Mus.     Bklyn.     Inst.    I.    No.    16. 
1909.  p.  390. 

A  not  uncommon  species  in  sparsely  wooded  savanna  regions  and 
the  borders  of  heavy  timber.  It  was  observed  and  collected  at  various 
points  from  Las  Barrancas,  in  the  delta  region,  up  as  far  as  Munduapo 
beyond  the  falls  of  Maipures. 

In  life  the  eye  is  straw  yellow;  bill  black,  slate  grey  at  base  of 
mandible ;  feet  slate  grey. 

This  species  was  properly  removed  from  the  genus  Capsiempis  by 
Mr.  Hellmayr  (vide  supra},  but  it  certainly  can  not  be  referred  to 

'Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.  IV.  1907.  p.  339. 
'Sci.  Bull.,  Mus.  Bklyn.  Inst.  I.  1909.  p.  390. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  225 

Serpophaga.  Inezia  caudata  and  7.  subftava  differ  widely  from  the 
typical  species  of  Serpophaga  in  the  style  of  coloration,  being  olive  green 
above  and  yellowish  below,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  concealed  vertical 
crown  spot.  The  character  of  the  tarsal  envelope  is  also  quite  distinct, 
being  taxaspidean.1 

As  I  have  already  pointed  out  (Sci.  Bull.  I.  1909.  p.  390),  in 
fresh  specimens  of  Inezia  the  acrotarsium  is  seen  to  cover  the  anterior 
half  of  the  tarsus  only,  on  the  inner  side  extending  back  a  little  farther 
than  on  the  outer  side.  "The  upper  posterior  third  of  the  back 
of  the  tarsus  seems  to  be  entirely  nonscutellate,  but  on  the  distal  two- 
thirds  is  a  double  series  of  small  elongated  scutella,  one  on  each  side." 

INEZIA  SUBFLAVA  (Sclater  &  Salvin). 
Serpophaga  subftava  Sclater  &  Salvin,  Nomencl.  Av.  Neotr.  1873.  p.  158 

(Para,  Brazil)  ;  Sclater,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  XIV.  1888.  p.  105. 
Serpophaga  subftava  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX,  1902.  40-41, 

in  part   ("Munduapo,"   upper   Orinoco,   Venezuela). 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  (/.  c.),  called  attention  to  the  differences 
between  specimens  from  the  middle  Orinoco  and  an  example  from 
Munduapo  on  the  upper  Orinoco,  a  difference  which  seems  to  be  borne  out 
by  the  series  in  this  museum  from  the  middle  and  delta  regions  and  a 
single  example  from  Nericagua  on  the  upper  river.  And  Mr;  Hellmayr'- 
who  made  a  comparison  between  the  type  of  subftava  and  a  series  of 
/.  caudata  seemed  to  find  exactly  those  differences  pointed  out  by  Ber- 
lepsch and  Hartert,  and  to  be  observed  in  the  specimens  before  the 
writer. 

I.  caudata  is  distinguished  from  I.  subfiava  by  slightly  longer  wings 
and  tail,  by  having  the  lower  throat  and  upper  breast  suffused  with 
fulvous,  the  whitish  chin  spot  spreading  on  to  the  upper  throat,  and 
belly  paler  yellow. 

SERPOPHAGA  HYPOLEUCA  Sclater  &  Salvin. 
Serpophaga  hypoleuca  Scl.  &  Salv.,  P.  Z.  S.  1866.  p.  188 ;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  41. 

On  the  three  expeditions  I  have  made  to  the  Orinoco  region,  only 
six  of  these  rare  little  Flycatchers  have  been  collected.  Specimens  were 

'Fresh  specimens  of  Serpophaga  hypoleuca  that  have  been  examined,  have  the  acrotarsium  extending 
across  the  outer  side,  to  and,  for  the  distal  two-thirds,  around  on  to  the  back;  on  the  inside  it  extends  about 
half  way  across.  The  area  between  the  edges  of  the  acrotarsium  on  the  back  and  inner  posterior  half  of 
tarsus  is  occupied  by  a  series  of  elongated  quadrate  (better  described  as  oval,  perhaps)  scutella.  On  the 
posterior  outer  half  of  the  tarsus,  above  that  portion  of  the  acrotarsium  extending  on  to  the  back,  is  a  single 
quadrate  scutellum,  and  above  that  a  nonscutellate  triangular  area. 

2Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  323. 


226  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

taken  at  San  Mateo  de  Caicara,  Altagracia,  and  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad 
Bolivar.  It  was  found  only  in  the  open,  sparsely  wooded  savanna 
regions. 

PlPROMORPHA  OLEAGINEA  OLEAGINEA1    (Lichtenstein)  . 

Muscicapa  oleaginea  Licht.,  Doubl.  Verz.  1823.  p.  55. 

Mionectes  oleagineus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  41. 

Pipromorpha  oleaginea  Cabanis  &  Heine,  Mus.  Hein.  II,  1859,  p.  55. 

Rare  on  the  Orinoco  proper  where  only  a  single  specimen  has  been 
collected  by  the  writer.  That  was  taken  at  Nericagua  above  the  falls  of 
Maipures  in  April,  1899.  It  is  apparently  not  uncommon  on  the  Caura 
River  as  it  was  there  obtained  by  both  Andre  and  Klages.  In  the 
American  Museum  are  four  specimens  collected  on  the  Caura  River  by 
Klages,  two  from  La  Union  taken  in  October,  and  two  from  Suapure, 
taken  in  November. 

The  Pipromorphae  inhabit  thick  woods  and  frequent  the  low  trees 
and  bushes  therein. 

CAPSIEMPIS  FLAVEOLA  (Lichtenstein). 

Muscicapa  ftaveola  Licht.,  Doubl.  Verz.  1823.  p.  56. 
Capsiempis  flaveola  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  41. 

A  not  common  species,  but  one  found  all  along  the  river  from 
Las  Barrancas  in  the  delta  to  above  the  falls  of  Maipures. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  above  black,  mandible 
pale  at  base;  feet  slate. 

PHAEOMYIAS  MURINA  INCOMTA  (Cabanis  &  Heine). 

Hlaenea  incomta  Cab.  &  Heine,  Mus.  Hein.  II.  1859.  p.  59  (Cartagena). 
Phaeomyias  incomta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  41  (Orinoco,  Venezuela; 

Altagracia,  Caicara,  Ciudad  Bolivar). 

A  common  species  frequenting  sparsely  wooded  savanna  regions 
along  the  middle  Orinoco  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  beyond  the  mouth  of 
the  Apure.  Specimens  have  been  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Agua 
Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  and  Caicara. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  above  blackish,  below  dusky  with  blackish  tip ; 
feet  slate  black. 

A  nest  with  the  male  parent  bird  was  collected  at  Caicara  May  8, 

f»  »It  is  probable  that  P.  o.  patlidiventris,  the  Trinidadian  Pipromorpha  will  be  found  in  the  coast 
region  of  the  Orinoco  delta. 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  227 

1907.  The  nest  was  saddled  between  the  forks  of  a  small  branch  at 
the  extreme  top  of  a  Chaparo  Oak  which  stood  in  the  open  savanna. 
It  was  about  6.10  m.  from  the  ground.  When  found,  one  young  bird 
was  perched  on  the  edge  of  the  nest  but  flew  away  and  was  lost  when  I 
started  to  climb  after  the  nest.  The  nest  is  a  shallow,  open,  cup-shaped 
affair,  resembling  somewhat  nests  of  the  wood-pew ee  (Myiochanes 
virens),  or  more  perhaps  that  of  Pyrocephalus  or  Sublegatus.  It  is  a 
slight  affair,  loosely  saddled  in  the  forks,  composed  of  rather  short 
pieces  of  fine  grass  stems  and  other  vegetable  fibres  with  which  are 
mixed  many  empty  spider  egg  cases.  The  whole  is  held  together  largely 
with  spider-webs.  The  inner  lining  consists  of  a  few  feathers  and  more 
empty  spider  egg  cases.  Outside  it  measures  2.8  cm.  in  depth  by  6  cm. 
in  diameter;  the  nest  cavity  measures  1.3  cm.  in  depth  by  4.2  cm.  in 
diameter. 

ORNITHION  INERME  Hartlaub. 

Ornithion  inerme  Haiti:,  J.  F.  O.,  1853.  p.  35  (locality  unknown1)  ;  Ber- 
lepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  42  (Suapure,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

Rare.  Not  observed  by  the  writer  (on  first  trip),  but  in  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert's  paper  a  single  specimen  is  reported  collected  at  Suapnre  on 
the  Caura  River  by  Klages.  In  the  Brooklyn  Museum  is  a  specimen 
collected  by  the  writer  at  Maipures  in  December,  1905.  In  this  example 
the  eye  was  clay  color;  bill  above  black,  below  slate  color;  feet  blackish 
slate. 

ORNITHION  PUSILLUM  NAPAEUM  (Ridgway). 

Myiopatis  pusilla  Cabanis  &  Heine,  Mus.  Hein.,  II.  Sept.  1859.  p.  58 

(Cartagena,  Colombia). 
Ornithion  napaeum  Ridgway,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  X.  1888.  p.  520 

(Diamantina,  lower  Amazon  Valley). 
Ornithion    pusillum    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    42    (Suapure    and    La 

Pricion,  Caura  River;  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Orinoco 

River,  Venezuela). 

Common  throughout  the  savanna  regions.  Young  birds  are  much 
paler,  more  cinereous  below  than  the  adults. 

Iris  seal  brown;  bill  blackish,  pale  at  base  of  the  mandible;  feet 
dusky  slate  gray. 


'Berlepsch  &  Hartert  (1.  c.).  substitute  Bahia. 


228  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

TYRANNULUS  ELATUS  ELATUS  (Latham). 
Sylvia  elata  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  II.  1790.  p.  549. 
Tyrcmnulus  elatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  42. 

Rare.     Specimens  were  collected  at  Altagracia,  Maipures  and  Neri- 
cagua. 

TYRANNISCUS  GRACILIPES  Sclater  &  Salvin. 
Tyranniscus  gracilipes  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  43. 

A  female  of  the  species  was  collected  at  Maipures  on  the  upper 
river  December  18,  1898.     No  others  noted. 

ELAENIA  MARTINICA  FLAVOGASTRA  (Thunberg). 
Pipra  flavogaster  Thunb.,  Mem.  Acad.  Imp.   St.  Petersb.,  VIII.   1822. 

p.  286. 
Elainea  pagana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  43. 

Native  name  Capiton.  The  same  name  is  applied  to  all  species  of 
the  genus  and  frequently  to  others  of  the  small  dull  colored  Flycatchers. 
Common  from  the  delta  region  up  at  least  to  the  first  falls,  frequenting 
the  sparsely  wooded  savannas.  The  nesting  season  about  Caicara  occurs 
in  April.  The  nest  is  usually  saddled  well  out  toward  the  tip  of  a  limb 
of  a  scrub  oak  and  rarely  over  1.83  m.  or  2.44  m.  from  the  ground, 
often  not  over  91.5  cm.  It  resembles  the  nest  of  our  wood-pewee, 
but  with  fewer  lichens  ornamenting  the  outside.  It  is  a  neat,  com- 
pact little  cup  lined  with  feathers.  A  nest  containing  two  slightly 
incubated  eggs,  collected  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  April  I7th  (No. 
10,766  Coll.  G.  K.  and  Stella  M.  Cherrie),  was  placed  near  the  end  of  a 
limb  in  a  scrub  oak  about  1.5  m.  from  the  ground.  Both  parents  re- 
mained very  near,  while  the  nest  was  being  collected,  chirping  uneasily. 
The  nest  measures  about  7  cm.  outside  diameter  and  5.5  cm.  inside, 
by  1.7  cm.  in  depth.  The  two  handsome  eggs  are  rather  short  ovate  in 
form,  of  a  rich  cream  color,  marked  with  irregular  spots  of  reddish  brown 
overlying  pale  mauve-colored  markings.  In  one  of  the  eggs  the  mark- 
ings are  arranged  chiefly  in  an  irregular  band  about  the  larger  end,  in 
the  other  the  markings  are  confined  chiefly  on  the  larger  end  itself.  The 
measurements  are  22.5  x  17  and  21  by  16.5  mm. 

ELAENIA  CHIRIQUENSIS  CHIRIQUENSIS  Lawrence. 
Elainea    chiriquensis    Lawrence.    Ann.    Lye.    Nat.    Hist.    N.    Y.    VIII. 

1865.  P-  X77  (TyPe  ex  David,  Chiriqui  in  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.). 
Elaenia  albivertex  Berlepsch,   Proc.    IVth   Internal.   Orn.   Cong.,    1905. 

p.  402. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  229 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  region  a  single  specimen 
of  this  species  was  collected  at  Quiribana  cle  Caicara1  but  was  not 
included  in  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper.  In  1905  an  adult  male  and 
an  adult  female  were  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  3rd. 

ELAENIA  CRISTATA  Pelzeln. 
Elainea   cristata    Pelz.    Orn.    Bras.    1868.    pp.    107,    177;    Berlepsch    & 

Hartert,  p.  43. 

This  and  the  preceding  species  occur  together  throughout  the 
middle  stretches  of  the  Orinoco.  Specimens  were  collected  at  Ciudad 
Bolivar,  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Cai- 
cara. A  nest  and  set  of  eggs  were  taken  at  Quiribana  <le  Caicara 
April  i6th,  1898,  and  described  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper. 

ELAENIA  PARVIROSTRIS  Pelzeln. 

Elainea  parvirostris  Pelz.,  Orn.  Bras.  1868,  pp.  107,  178. 
Elainea    albiceps   parvirostris    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    44.    (Caicara, 

Quiribana  de  Caicara.) 

Common,  noted  at  various  points  along  the  river  from  Caicara 
down  as  far  as  Las  Barrancas  in  the  delta  region.  Only  two  speci- 
mens of  this  species  were  taken  on  my  first  expedition  to  the 
Orinoco.  One  of  the  two  collected  at  that  time,  together  with  a 
nest  and  set  of  eggs,  was  taken  on  the  2nd  of  April.  Both  the  nest 
and  the  eggs  resemble  those  of  other  species  of  Elaenia  that  have 
come  under  my  observation,  except  that  the  nest-lining  used  by  E. 
cristata  and  the  present  species  is  composed  of  the  soft,  silky  hair- 
like  fibres  covering  the  seeds  from  the  silk  cotton  tree,  whereas 
feathers  are  usually  employed. 

Specimens  from  Caicara  and  from  Las  Barrancas  have  been  com- 
pared with  the  type  of  Elacnia  albiventris2  in  the  collection  of  the 
American  Museum  and  found  to  be  identical. 

MYIOPAGIS  VIRIDICATA  VIRIDICATA  (Vieillot). 

Sylvia  viridicata  Vieillot,  Nouv.  Diet.  XI.  1817.  p.  171  (Type,  Paraguay). 
Elainea  viridicata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  44.     (Caicara  and  Quiribana 

de  Caicara,  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela.) 
Elaenia  viridicata  delicata  Berlepsch3  Proc.  IVth  Internat.  Orn.  Cong., 

1907,  p.  430  (Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  Orinoco  River). 

lBerlepsch,  Proc.  IVth  Internat.  Orn.  Cong.  1905   p.  402. 

iRlaenia  albiventris  Chapman,  Auk.  XIV.  1897.  P.  368  (Type.  Cumanacoa,  Venezuela.  W.  H.  Phclps 
Collection). 

'Count  Berlepsch  writes  me  under  date  of  Dec.  5th,  1908,  that  his  E.  v  delicata  is  true  riridicata! 


230  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Elainea  placens  Authors,  cf.   Scl.,  Cat.   Birds.   Brit.   Mus.   XVI. 

p.  148. 

Not  uncommon  about  Caicara  where  they  frequent  the  -sparsely 
wooded  savanna  regions. 

MYIOPAGIS  GAIMARDI  (D'Orbingy). 
Muscicapara  gaimardii  D'Orb.,  Voy.  dans  1'Am.  Merid.,  IV.  Ois.  1839.  P- 

326  (Yuracares,  Bolivia). 
Elainea    gaimardi    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    44    (Caicara,    Maipures, 

Munduapo,  Orinoco  River,   Suapure  and  La  Union,  Caura  River, 

Venezuela). 
E[lainopsis]1   gaimardii  Ridgway,  Birds  X.   and  M.  Amer.,  IV.    1907. 

p.  800  (Santa  Marta,  Colombia,  Venezuela,  Trinidad,  Brazil). 

MYIOPAGIS  FLAVIVERTEX  (Sclater). 

Elainea  ftavivertex  Scl.,  P.  Z.  S.  1887.  p.  49;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  45 
(.Munduapo,  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela). 

This  species  was  met  with  on  my  first  expedition  only.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  Munduapo  it  was  not  uncommon.  It  is  easily  dis- 
tinguished from  M.  viridicata  by  its  smaller  size,  and  the  deeper,  richer, 
olive  green  above,  deeper  yellow  on  the  belly  and  heavier  wash  of  olive 
on  the  lower  throat  and  upper  breast.  The  yellowish  tips  to  the  greater 
and  median  line  coverts  forming  two  well  defined  bands  are  also 
distinctive. 

MYIOPAGIS  CINEREA   (Pelzeln). 

Elainea  macilvaini  Berlepsch  &  Hartert   (not  Lawrence),   Novit.   Zool. 

IX.  1902.  p.  44  (Saupure,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 
Elainea  cinerea   Pelz.,   Orn.    Bras.    II.    1870.   pp.    108,    180;    Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  45  (Saupure,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

E[laenia]   cinerea  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.,  XV.   1908.  p.  47   (Suapure, 
Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

This  species  was  not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper  by  the 

!Mr.  Ridgway  in  a  paper  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Biological  Society  of  Washington.  XVIII.  1905. 
pp.  207-210,  describing  new  genera  of  Tyrannidae.  Pipridae  and  Cotingidae,  removes  Elaenia  elegans  Pelzeln 
(-Musctcapara  gaimardii  D'Orbigny)  from  the  Tyrannidae  and  constitutes  it  as  the  type  of  a  new  genus 
(.t-lainopsis)  of  Cotingidae,  on  the  ground  that  it  has  pycnaspidean  tarsi  and  that  the  basal  phalanx  of  the 
middle  toe  is  wholly  united  to  the  outer  toe.  However,  I  find  these  characters  shared  by  all  the  species 
ot  Myiopagis  that  I  have  examined — viridicala,  flanivertex,  macilvaini  and  caniceps. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  231 

writer,  but- two  specimens  were  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  by  Klages 
which  were  collected  at  .Suapure  on  the  Caura  River.  One  of  these 
was  identified  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  as  Elainea  macilvaini  but 
Hellmayr  has  shown  it  to  belong  to  this  species. 

SUBLEGATUS  GLABER  Sclater  &  Salvin. 

Sublegatus  glaber  Scl.  &  Salv.,  P.  Z.  S.  1868.  p.  171.  PI.  XIII,  fig.  2. 
Sublegatus   brevirostris  glaber   Berlepsch   &   Hartert,   p.   45.      (Ciudad 

Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Orinoco,  Venezuela). 

An  abundant  species  on  the  sparsely  wooded  savanna,  from  Ciu- 
dad Bolivar  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Apure.  A  nest  and  two  eggs 
were  taken  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  April  I5th  (No.  1075  Coll.  G.  K. 
and  Stella  M.  Cherrie).  In  general  characters  the  nest  is  similar 
to  nests  of  Pyrocephalus  or  Hlaenia.  A  neat,  compact,  although 
rather  frail  cup  saddled  on  a  horizontal  limb  usually  at  a  fork  where 
a  broader  foundation  is  available.  Short  bits  of  thin  dry  bark  and 
plant  stems,  held  together  by  cobwebs,  form  the  body  of  the  nest  and 
there  is  a  lining  of  a  few  soft  feathers.  The  inside  measurements 
are  5  cm.  diameter,  by  1.3  cm.  in  depth.  The  eggs  are  ovate  in 
form ;  thickly  marked  with  irregular  seal  brown  spots  that  overlie 
other  spots  of  a  pale  lavender  color,  all  on  a  ground  color  of  bluish 
white.  In  one  egg  the  spots  are  pretty  uniformly  distributed  over 
the  entire  egg,  in  the  other  they  are  confined  chiefly  about  the  larger 
end.  The  measurements  are  17.5  x  13.5  and  17  x  13  mm. 

A  nest  which,  together  with  a  set  of  eggs  and  the  female  parent, 
was  taken  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  I5th,  was  placed 
on  and  between  the  forks  near  the  tip  of  a  horizontal  branch  of  a  scrub 
oak,  and  only  about  1.8  m.  from  the  ground.  The  body  of  the  nest 
seems  to  be  made  up  almost  entirely  of  short  bits  of  the  thin  paper- 
like  outer  bark  of  the  scrub  oak,  or  guaramal;  held  together  and 
attached  to  the  supporting  branch  by  spiders'  webs.  There  is  a 
scant  lining  of  short  pieces  of  fine  wire-like,  thin,  dead  grass  stems, 
a  few  bits  of  soft  bark  and  more  cobwebs.  The  nest  is  a  shallow 
open  cup  measuring  6.5  cm.  outside  diameter  by  4.5  cm.  inside  and 
only  2.5  cm.  outside  depth.  Being  constructed  of  the  same  sort  of 
bark  as  the  supporting  branch  it  is  very  inconspicuous. 

The  parent  bird  sat  so  closely  that  my  hand  almost  touched  her 
before  she  fluttered  awav.  Incubation  was  far  advanced  in  the  two 


232  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

eggS_So  far  that  I  was  able  to  save  only  one.  It  is  rather  short 
ovate  measuring  18.25x13.75  mm.  The  color  and  markings  are 
similar  to  those  described  above.  The  markings  are  massed  chiefly 
in  a  circle  about  the  larger  end. 

A  male  in  Juvenal  plumage  taken  at  Caicara,  June  8,  1905,  (No. 
13,844  Cherrie  Coll.),  is  dark  brown  (nearly  a  clove  brown)  above, 
wings  and  tail  darker.  Feathers  of  the  back  and  head  narrowly 
tipped  with  buffy  brownish.  Wing-coverts  rather  broadly  tipped 
and  tertials  tipped  and  edged  on  the  outer  webs,  with  the  same  color. 
Throat  and  upper  breast  brownish  gray,  slightly  mottled  by  buffy 
tips  to  the  feathers;  remaining  under  parts  including  under  surface 
of  the  wing  a  primrose  yellow.  Eye  grayish  brown;  bill  and  feet 
blackish. 

In  adult  fresh  specimens  the  eye  is  vandyke  brown  or  seal  brown; 
bill  is  black  or  blackish;  feet  slate  black. 

In  the  American  Museum  is  a  single  specimen  from  Maripa  on 
the  Caura  River  (Klages  Coll.). 

5V  glaber  is  probably  replaced  in  the  delta  regions  by  the  follow- 
ing species. 

LEGATUS  ALBICOLLIS  ALBicoujs1  (Vieillot). 
Tyrannus  albicollis  Vieillot,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXXV.  1819.  p.  89. 
Le gains  albicollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  45. 

A  not  uncommon  inhabitant  of  the  strips  of  woodland  bordering 
the  smaller  streams  of  the  savanna  regions. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  seal ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

A  young  bird  24  to  48  hours  old  had  the  skin  of  the  back  jet 
black,  that  below  reddish  flesh  color.  The  natal  down  is  a  tawny 
russet  with  olive  shade. 

The  nesting  season  in  the  middle  Orinoco  region  occurs  during 
April  and  May.  Some  six  or  eight  nests  of  this  species  have  come 
under  my  observation,  and  in  each  case  they  have  been  in  trees  in 
which  other  species  of  birds  were  nesting.  Two  of  the  nests  exam- 
ined, taken  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  April  8th  and  I4th,  1898, 


'Mr.  Ridgway  in  characterizing  the  genus  Legatus  (Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America,  IV.  1907. 
438),  says:— tarsus  "typically  exaspidean.  "  However,  a  careful  examination  of  the  specimens  in  the  series 
in  this  Museum  indicates  that  the  tarsus  is  far  from  typically  exaspidean;  rather  it  is  pycnaspidean,  or  per- 
haps it  would  be  better  described  as  quasi  taxaspidean.  The  acrotarsium  extends  across  the  outer  side  of 
tarsus,  but  apparently  does  not  overlap  the  posterior  edge  at  any  point.  The  broad  planter  space  between 
the  edges  of  the  acrotarsium  is  occupied  on  the  posterior  edge  by  three  series  of  small  roundish  scutella  or 
granules  between  which  and  the  inner  edge  of  the  acrotarsium  is  a  narrow  area  of  non-scutellate  integument. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  233 

(No.  10,768,  10,769  Coll.  G.  K.  &  Stella  M.  Cherrie)  were  apparently 
year-old,  abandoned  nests  of  the  common  yellow  Oriole  (Icterus 
xanthornus}.  A  few  small  dead  leaves  of  the  Salada  tree  formed 
a  lining,  but  whether  they  had  been  carried  in  by  the  birds  or  had 
fallen  there  by  chance  seemed  open  to  question.  The  first  of  these 
nests  contained  a  single  egg,  the  second  contained  two  eggs.  In  each 
case  the  parent  birds  were  collected,  the  female  taken  with  nest  No. 
10.768  Cherrie  Coll.  having  an  egg  in  the  oviduct.  A  nest  without 
eggs,  together  with  the  owners,  taken  at  Caicara,  May  4,  1905,  is 
exactly  similar  in  materials  employed  and  style  of  structure  with  an- 
other nest  of  Icterus  xanthornus,  containing  eggs,  that  hung  within  a 
few  feet  of  it  in  the  same  tree.  Also  in  the  same  tree  were  nests  con- 
taining eggs  of  Pitangus  derbianus  rufipennis  and  Myiosetetes  super- 
ciliosns  columbianus. 

An  egg  collected  with  the  nest  (one  originally  built  by  the  yellow 
Oriole),  and  female  parent  bird  at  Auga  Salada  de  Cuidad  Bolivar 
April  17,  1907,  is  ovate  in  form  and  measures  22  x  15  mm.  The  ovi- 
duct of  the  female  contained  two  imperfect  eggs  indicating  that  the 
full  set  would  have  been  three.  On  the  7th  of  May,  at  Caicara  a  nest 
containing  one  egg  just  on  the  point  of  hatching  and  a  day  old  chick, 
was  collected ;  the  full  set  in  this  case  was  evidently  two. 


MYIOZETETES  CAYANENSIS  RUFIPENNIS  Lawrence. 

Myiosetetes  rufipennis  Lawrence,  Ann.  Lye.  N.  Y.  IX.  p.  267.     (Type, 

Puerto  Cabello.) 

Myiosetetes  cayennensis  rufipennis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  45. 
M[yiozetctes]   cayanensis  rufipennis  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.,  XV,  1908, 

p.  49  (N.  Venezuela,  Orinoco  Valley). 
M[yiozetetes]  c[ayancnsis]  rufipennis  Hellmayr,  P.  Z.  S.,  1911,  p.  1134- 

(Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  Orinoco 

River). 

Native  name  Pccho  amarillo,  a  name  applied  to  all  the  yellow- 
breasted  flycatchers. 

An  abundant  species  throughout  the  sparsely  wooded  portions 
of  the  savanna  regions. 

Adults  have  the  eye  dark  sepia  brown ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

Young  birds  in  Juvenal  plumage  are  dark  brown  with  a  faint 
olive  wash  above ;  head  black  without  colored  crest,  broad  superciliary 


234  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

stripes,  white,  faintly  washed  with  yellowish,  meeting  across  the  fore- 
head and  extending  backward  almost  uniting  in  a  band  across  the  occi- 
put; wings  and  tail  blackish;  edges  of  outer  webs  of  wing-coverts,  and 
quills,  outer  and  inner  webs  of  tail  feathers,  and  tips  of  feathers  of 
lower  back,  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts,  rufous ;  below,  including; 
under  wing-coverts,  bright  yellow;  throat  white;  inner  webs  of  wing 
feathers,  except  at  tips,  rufous  (Juvenal  male,  Caicara,  Venezuela, 
June  8,  1905,  Geo.  K.  Cherrie,  No.  3577,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum). 

Adults  in  fresh  nuptial  plumage  show  rufous  edges  to  the  tail 
feathers. 

The  nesting  season  along  the  middle  Orinoco  begins  early  in 
April  and  continues  into  June.  The  nests  are  large,  loosely  woven 
ragged  looking  balls  of  plant  fibres  and  soft  grasses,  with  a  large 
entrance  hole  on  one  side.  They  are  usually  placed  near  the  ends  of 
large  horizontal  limbs  and  rarely  more  than  3.48  m.  from  the  ground. 
Two  or  three  (rarely  four)  eggs  are  laid;  they  are  speckled  and 
spotted  with  reddish  brown,  with  a  few  underlying  pale  purplish 
gray  patches  in  some  specimens.  Usually  the  markings  are  confined 
to  a  zone  about  the  larger  end,  but  occasionally  are  quite  evenly  dis- 
tributed over  the  entire  surface.  The  ground  color  varies  from  a 
delicate  white  to  a  faint  pinkish  buff.  The  form  varies  from  ovate  to 
elongate  ovate.  A  set  of  three  eggs  collected  at  Caicara  May  10,  1907 
(No.  14,735  Cherrie  Coll.)  measure  23.5  x  14.75  '•>  22o  x  *4-5  and  22  x 
14.7  mm.  A  set  of  two  taken  in  the  same  locality,  June  2ist  (No. 
14,983  Cherrie  Coll.)  measure  23  x  15  and  23  x  15  mm. 

MYIOZETETES  TEXENSIS  COLUMBIANUS  Cabanis  &  Heine. 
M[yiosetetes]  columbianus  Cab.  &  Hem.,  Mus.  Hein.  II.  1859.  p.  62. 
Myiozetetes     te.rensis     columbianus     Berlepsch,     Ibis,     1884.     p.     434 

(Angostura).  * 
Myiozetetes    supercitiosus    columbianus    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    46 

(Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Orinoco,  Venezuela). 

Abundant  from  the  delta  region  up  to  some  distance  beyond  the 
mouth  of  the  Caura  River.  In  1897  and  1898  I  found  it  common  at 
Altagracia,  midway  between  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Caicara.  Not  at 
all  common  at  Caicara.  Like  the  preceding  species,  it  is  an  inhabi- 
tant of  the  thinly  wooded  savannas. 

In  life  the  eye  is  light  brown  to  seal  brown;  bill  and  feet  black. 

Birds    in    juvenal    plumage    resemble    the    adults,  but  are  without 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  235 

the  scarlet  crown  patch  and  the  wing  and  tail  quills  and  wing-coverts 
are  edged  with  ochraceous  or  ochraceous  rufous. 

A  nest  containing  three  fresh  eggs  was  collected  at  Caicara  May 
4,  1905.  The  nest  was  about  9.14  m.  from  the  ground  in  the  same 
tree  with  nests  of  Legatus,  Pitangns  and  Icterus.  In  the  location,  shape 
:ind  materials  employed,  it  is  similar  to  nests  of  M.  cayanensis  caya- 
nensis,  globular  mass  of  plant  fibers  and  long-bladed  grass,  placed 
near  the  end  and  pressed  in  between  the  forks  near  the  tip  of  a  large 
horizontal  limb.  The  entrance  about  5  cm.  in  diameter  is  on  the  side 
looking  toward  the  end  of  the  limb.  In  getting  the  nest  down  two  of 
the  eggs  were  broken.  The  remaining  egg  is  ovate  in  form,  delicate 
flesh  pink  in  color,  quite  thickly  speckled  about  the  larger  end  with 
reddish  brown  spots  overlying  other  spots  of  vinaceous  brown.  The 
egg  measures  20.5  x  19.5  mm.  In  1907  sets  of  eggs  were  collected 
April  9th  and  May  8th. 

The  nests  and  eggs  of  this  species  are  indistinguishable  from  those 
of  M.  cayennensis. 

MYIOZETETES  GRANADENSIS  Lawrence. 

Myiozetetes  granadensis  Lawr.,  Ibis,  1862.  p.  n. 

Myiosetetes  granadensis  subsp.  ?;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  46. 

This  species  was  not  observed  by  the  writer;  Andre,  however, 
sent  a  single  example,  collected  at  La  Pricion.  on  the  Caura  River,  in 
February,  1901,  to  the  Tring  Museum.  It  is  recorded  in  the  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  paper. 

TYRANNOPSIS  SULPHUREUS  (Spix). 

Muscicapa  sulphurea  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  16,  PI.  20. 
Myiosetetes    sulphureus    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    46    (Quiribana    de 

Caicara,  Orinoco  River). 
Tyrannopsis  sulphureus  Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XVIII,  1905, 

p.  209. 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  this  species  was  found. 

Not  uncommon  about  Quiribana  de  Caicara  during  April.  Not 
noted  elsewhere. 

CRASPEDOPRION  OLIVACEUS  GUIANENSIS   (McConnell). 
Rhynchocyclus    olivaceus   guianensis   McConnell,    Bull.    Brit.    Orn.    Cl. 
XXVII;  1911;   106  (British  Guiana). 


236  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Craspedoprion  intermedius  Todd,  Ann.   Carnegie  Mus.  VIII;   1912;  p. 

207   (Rio  Yuruan,  a  tributary  of  the  Guyuni  Riv.,  Venezuela)   La 

Lajita,  Rio  Mato. 
C[raspedoprion]  guianensis  Chapman,  Bull.  A.  M.  N.  H.  XXXIII;  1914; 

176  (Caura  and  Yuman  in  Venezuela). 

This  species  is  recorded  from  La  Lajita,  Rio  Mato  (a  tributary 
of  the  Caura). 

RHYNCHOCYCLUS  KLAGESI  Ridgway. 

Rhynchocyclus  klagesi  Ridgway,   Proc.    Biol.    Soc.   Wash.   XIX;    1906; 

p.  115  (Type  ex  Maripa,  Venezuela). 

Besides  the  type  there  is  in  the  American  Museum  collection  a 
specimen  from  the  foot  of  Mount  Duida,  Upper  Orinoco. 

RHYNCHOCYCLUS  SULPHURESCENS  SULPHURESCENS  (Spix). 

Platyrhynchus  sulphurescens  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  III.   1825.  p.   10.  PI.   12, 

fig.  i. 

A  single  adult  male  was  collected  at  Caicara  May  13,  1907.  The 
species  was  not  observed  on  either  of  the  previous  expeditions,  nor  is 
it  included  in  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  list. 

Eye  yellowish ;  mandible  delicate  flesh  pink ;  feet  slate  color. 

RHYNCHOCYCLUS  SULPHURESCENS  ASSIMILIS  Pelz. 
Rhynchocyclus  assimilis  Pelzeln,  Orn.  Bras.  (1869)  J  P-  IIO>  P-  I^1- 
Rhynchocyclus   sulphurescens    assimilis    Berlepsch    4th    Internat.    Orn. 

Congress  1907;  p.  482. 

The  American  Museum  collection  contains  a  specimen  from  the 
"Foot  of  Mount  Duida,"  Upper  Orinoco,  collected  by  Miller  and 
Iglseder. 

RHYNCHOCYCLUS  POLIOCEPHALUS  SCLATERI  Hellmayr. 

Rhynchocyclus  poliocephalus  sclateri  Hellmayr,  Verh.  Zool.-bot.  Ges. 
Wien.  LIII.  1903.  p.  207.  (Type,  Barra  de  Rio  Negro)  Nericagua 
and  Maipures,  Orinoco  River,  and  Suapure  and  La  Pricion,  Caura 
River,  Venez.,  and  other  points :  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906. 
p.  86. 

Rhynchocyclus  poliocephalus  Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  p.  47.  (Nericagua 
and  Maipures,  Orinoco  River;  Suapure  and  La  Pricion,  Caura 
River,  Venezuela). 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  237 

Only  observed  on  the  upper  river  where  specimens  were  collected 
at  Maipures  and  Nericagua  from  December  to  March.  Klages  and 
Andre  sent  specimens  to  the  Tring  Museum  from  the  Caura  River. 


RHYNCHOCYCLUS  FLAVIVENTRIS  FLAVIVENTRIS  (Wied). 

M[uscipeta]   flaviventris  Wied,  Beitr.  Naturg.  Bras.  III.   1831.  p.  929. 
Rhynchocyclus  flaviventer  (nee.  Spix)  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  46. 

Common,  frequenting  the  edges  of  heavy  timber  land  and  the 
larger,  denser  areas  of  woodland  that  here  and  there  dot  the  savan- 
nas. 

In  life  the  eye  is  drab  brown;  bill  black  above,  pale  flesh  color  below ; 
feet  slate  color. 

The  nesting  season  in  the  middle  Orinoco  region  extends  from 
the  last  of  April  to  the  end  of  July.  The  nest  is  suspended  from  the 
extreme  tip  of  some  slender  branch  hanging  from  the  limb  of  a  tree  or 
low  bush,  occasionally  hanging  within  15.24  cm.  of  the  ground  and 
rarely  over  1.52  m.  up.  A  nest  taken  at  Caicara,  June  loth,  was  sus- 
pended at  the  extreme  tip  of  a  slender  twig,  about  1.52  m.  up  and 
hanging  directly  over  a  forest  path  that  was  much  frequented  by  cat- 
tle. It  is  pouch-shaped,  or  perhaps  better  described  as  retort  shaped, 
(especially  the  interior  cavity),  about  20  cm.  in  length  and  8  or  9 
cm.  in  diameter  at  the  bottom  or  bulbous  portion.  It  is  sus- 
pended by  being  tightly  tied  about  the  tip  of  the  supporting  twig. 
The  entrance,  which  is  from  below,  is  a  tube  about  6  cm.  in 
diameter,  which  hangs  10  cm.  below  the  bottom  of  the  nest  proper. 
The  materials  used  are  soft,  fine  dry  grasses  and  vegetable  fibres ;  the 
whole  neat  and  trim  in  appearance.  A  nest  taken  May  5th  is  less 
trim  in  appearance  and  the  entrance  tube  hangs  about  20  cm.  beiow 
the  bottom  of  the  nest  and  is  carried  out  at  an  angle  of  30°  from  the 
perpendicular.  Also  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  nest  from  the  en- 
trance tube  there  hangs  a  bunch  of  dead  grass  making  the  outlines  of 
the  hanging  nest  that  of  an  inverted  V  with  the  apex  solid. 

The  eggs,  two  or  three  (usually  the  latter  number)  constituting 
a  set,  vary  in  form  from  ovate  to  short  ovate.  In  color  they  are 
creamy  white  speckled  about  the  larger  end  with  rufous  brown  spots 
and  dots  and  some  grayish  or  lavender  underlying  spots.  A  dozen 
eggs  representing  six  sets  average  19.9x13.5  mm.  The  smallest  is 
18.25  x  I3-25  mm-  and  the  largest  21  x  14.2  mm. 


238  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Three  nests  of  this  species  collected  within  a  few  days  of  one  an- 
other, and  in  the  same  general  locality  (within  an  area  of  a  circle,  the 
radius  of  which  would  not  exceed  75  metres)  seem  to  the  writer  excel- 
lent examples  of  the  individual  tastes  of  birds.  Each  nest  is  con- 
structed of  material  distinct  not  only  in  its  character  but 
also  in  its  color.  The  various  materials  from  my  observations 
seemed  equally  abundant,  yet  one  nest  is  constructed  entirely  of  black 
fibers  and  each  of  the  others  of  a  distinct  shade  and  texture  of  gray- 
ish brown  fibers.  Not  only  was  the  character  and  color  of  the  mater- 
ials employed  in  each  case  distinct,  but  the  builders  displayed  indi- 
vidual taste  in  the  execution  and  style  of  the  exterior  of  the  nest 
structure. 

RAMPHOTRIGON  RUFICAUDA  (Spix). 

Platyrhynchus  ruficauda  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825,  p.  9.  PI.  n,  fig.  i. 
Ramphotrigon  ruficauda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  47. 

The  writer  obtained  a  single  specimen,  an  adult  female  at  Mun- 
duapo,  March  I5th,  1899.  Xo  others  were  observed.  Specimens  were, 
however,  collected  by  both  Klages  and  Andre  on  the  Caura  River  at 
Suapure  and  La  Pricion  respectively,  and  there  is  a  single  example 
in  the  American  Museum,  collected  at  La  Union,  Caura  River,  by 
Klages. 

CONOPIAS  INORNATUS   (Lawrence). 
Myiosetetes  inornatus  Lawr.,  Ann.  Lye.   Nat.  Hist.   N.   Y.   IX.    1869. 

p.  268. 
Conopias  inornatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  47. 

A  not  uncommon  species  frequenting  the  sparsely  wooded 
savanna  regions  occasionally  in  company  with  species  of  Myiozetetes. 
It  was  observed  at  various  points  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  up  as  far  as 
Caicara. 

Eye  dark  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  blackish. 

A  nest  and  -set  of  eggs  together  with  the  female  parent  bird  were 
collected  at  Caicara  May  6th,  1907.  The  nest  is  an  open,  cup-shaped 
affair,  closely  resembling  that  of  our  wood-pewee  (Myiochanes  virens}. 
It  was  saddled  on  to  the  forks  of  a  good  sized  limb,  about  4.57  m. 
from  the  ground.  The  tree  in  which  it  was  placed  stood  just  at  the 
edge  of  a  belt  of  heavy  timber  bordering  the  river.  The  nest  walls 
seem  to  be  composed  almost  entirely  of  grey  lichens  that  are  bound 
together  by  cobwebs.  There  is  a  somewhat  scant  lining  of  fine 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  239 

brownish-colored,  vegetable  fibers  interspersed  with  bits  of  grey 
lichens.  The  whole  is  neat  and  trim  in  appearance.  The  measure- 
ments are:  outside  diameter  at  base  9.3  cm.;  height  3.5  cm.;  inside 
diameter  5.7  cm.;  depth  2  cm.  The  eggs  are  short  ovate,  white 
with  a  faint  buffy  tinge  marked  with  a  few  spots  and  blotches  of 
chestnut  brown  about  the  larger  end.  They  measure  21  x  16  mm. 
and  21.25  x  J6  mm.  The  female  parent  was  collected,  and  dissection 
showed  that  no  more  eggs  would  have  been  deposited.  Two  therefore 
constitute  a  full  set. 


PITANGUS  SULPHURATUS  RUFIPENNIS  (Laf resnaye) . 

Saurophagus  rufipennis  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  III.  1851.  p.  471. 

Pitangus  derbyanus  rufipennis,  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  434  (Angos- 
tura). 

Pitcmgus  derbianus  rufipennis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  47  (Ciudad 
Bolivar,  Altagracia  and  Caicara,  Orinoco  River). 

Native  name  Christofue.  Common  throughout  the  savanna  regions. 
Adults  have  the  eye  seal  brown;  feet  and  bill  black. 

The  nesting  season  in  the  middle  of  the  Orinoco  region  lasts  from 
earlv  April  until  the  end  of  June.  The  nests  built  by  this  species 
are  modelled  on  the  same  plan  as  nests  of  Myiozctctes  as  described, 
but  are  very  much  larger  and  the  materials  employed  are  much 
coarser.  A  nest,  together  with  three  eggs  and  the  parent  birds, 
taken  at  Caicara,  May  3rd,  was  about  4.57  in.  from  the  ground.  It  is 
a  great,  rough,  ragged-looking  ball  of  grass  and  weed  stems,,  the 
body  of  which  measures  about  30  cm.  in  diameter.  There  is  an  elip- 
tical  entrance  hole  on  one  side,  the  minor  axis  of  which  measures 
about  5  cm.  and  the  major  about  9  cm.  The  dead  grass  immedi- 
ately about  the  nest  cavity  and  entrance  hole  is  soft  and  fine.  The 
nest  was  well  out  toward  the  end  of  a  large  horizontal  limb,  pressed 
in  between  forks  that  supported  it  from  below  and  on  the  sides.  The 
three  eggs  taken  with  this  nest  were  slightly  incubated.  There  is  a 
noticeable  variation  in  size  and  shape.  One  egg  is  ovate,  one  a  short 
ovate  and  the  other  intermediate  between  them.  They  are  a  rich 
cream  color  with  seal  brown  specks  and  spots,  and  a  lesser  number  of 
underlying  drab  spots,  grouped  in  an  irregular  zone  about  the  larger 
end.  Measurements  26.5x19;  27.5x20.5  and  29.5x20.5  mm. 


240  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

A  second  set  of  three  badly  incubated  eggs,  taken  on  the  same 
date,  are  similar  in  color  and  markings,  and  measure  28.3x20;  30.8 
x  20  and  29  x  19.8. 

In  a  set  of  four  fresh  eggs,  taken  May  4th,  there  are  many  large 
irregular  spots  in  the  markings  which  are  clustered  on  the  larger  end. 
These  eggs  measure  28.2  x  19.5 ;  27.5  x  20;  27.7  x  19  and  27.1  x  19.7  mm. 

In  the  same  tree  with  the  nest  containing  the  last  set  of  eggs 
above  described,  were  nests  of  Icterus,  Myiosetetes  and  Legatus,  and  it 
was  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception  to  find  nests  of  the  present  species 
and  those  of  Icterus  xanthornus  not  far  from  one  another  in  the  same 
tree. 

PlTANGUS    SULPHURATUS    TRINITATIS    Hellmayr. 

Pitangus  sulphuratus  trinitatis  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.,  XIII.  1906.  p.  24. 
(Type  "  5  ",  Coparo,  Trinidad.) 

This  form  of  P.  sulphurattts  was  found  at  Las  Barrancas ;  P.  s.  rufi- 
pennis  is  found  throughout  the  dryer  savanna  regions  of  the  middle 
Orinoco  and  is  probably  replaced  in  the  entire  delta  region  by  trinitatis. 

PITANGUS  UCTOR  (Lichtenstein). 

Lanius  lictor  Licht,  Verz.  Doubl.  1823.  p.  49. 
Pitangus  lictor  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  48. 

Birds  of  this  species  were  found  frequenting  the  edges  of  the  nar- 
row belts  of  timber  bordering  the  watercourses  that  cross  the  open 
savannas. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  black;  feet  slate  black. 

MYIODYNASTES  MACULATUS  MACULATUS  (Miiller). 

Muscicapa    maculata    Miiller,    Natursyst.     Supplement,     1776.    p.  169. 

("Cayenne"). 
Myiodynastes  audax  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  48.      (Caicara  and  Quiri- 

bana  de  Caicara,  Orinoco  and  Suapure,  Caura  River,  Venezuela.) 

This  species  was  observed  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  up  as  far  as  Cai- 
cara. It  was  not  observed  in  heavily  wooded  districts. 

An  immature  male  collected  June  loth  differs  from  the  adult  only 
in  the  absence  of  a  concealed  yellow  crest. 

In  adults  the  eye  is  seal  brown;  bill  black,  pale  at  base  of  the 
mandible ;  feet  slate  color. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.    .  241 

A  female  taken  at  Caicara  May  8th  had  in  the  oviduct  an  egg 
ready  to  be  deposited.  On  the  same  date  a  nest  from  which  the 
young  were  just  emerging  was  tound.  It  was  a  natural  cavity  in  the 
trunk  of  a  Chaparo  oak,  about  3  m.  up.  The  tree  stood  at  the  edge  of 
an  open  savanna. 

MEGARHYNCHUS  PITANGUA   (Linnaeus). 

Lanius  pitangua  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  136. 
Megarhynchus  pitangua  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  48. 

Not  uncommon,  noted  from  the  delta  region  as  far  up  the  river  as 
San  Fernando  de  Atabapo. 

Eye  vandyke  brown ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

The  juvenal  plumage  is  similar  to  that  of  the  adult,  but  darker 
above,  being  dark  olive  brown,  and  lacking  the  colored  concealed 
crown  patch.  A  young  female  taken  just  as  it  was  leaving  the  nest 
(collected  at  Caicara  May  roth)  has  the  wing  and  tail  quills  and  wing 
and  tail-coverts  edged  and  terminally  margined  with  rufous,  the 
feathers  of  the  back  hind  neck  and  occiput  are  narrowly  margined  with 
grayish  buff. 

An  immature  female  taken  Juty  loth  (also  at  Caicara)  is  in  what 
is  probably  the  post- juvenal  or  first  winter  plumage.  This  plumage 
is  similar  to  the  juvenal  plumage,  but  the  back  is  more  olive  and  less 
brownish,  agreeing  more  closely  with  the  adult.  There  are  no  grey- 
ish buff  tips  to  the  feathers  of  the  crown  nor  to  those  of  the  hind  neck 
and  they  are  much  less  prominent  than  those  of  the  back.  The  inner 
secondaries  are  margined  on  the  outer  webs  and  tipped  with  buffy 
white,  the  remaining  wing  quills,  wing  and  tail-coverts  and  tail  quills 
are  margined  and  tipped  with  pale  rufous. 

A  nest  which  the  young  were  just  leaving  was  collected  at 
Caicara  May  loth.  It  was  placed  on  a  horizontal  limb  of  a  Chaparo 
oak  about  3  m.  up,  and  at  a  point  where  several  radiating  small 
branches  supported  it  on  all  sides.  It  is  an  open  cup-shaped  struc- 
ture. The  body  is  composed  of  coarse  dead  twigs  lined  with  rather 
coarse  vegetable  fibers  and  plant  tendrils.  Outside  it  measures  10  cm. 
in  depth  by  16  cm.  in  diameter.  The  nest  cavity  is  about  3.5  cm. 
deep  and  9  cm.  in  diameter.  The  structure  is  so  loosely  put  together 
that  the  eggs  might  be  seen  through  the  nest  walls. 


242        BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE;  MUSEUM.    SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

ONYCHORHYNCHUS1   CORONATUS    (P.  L.   S.   Mullcr). 

Muscicapa  coronata  Miill.,  Natursyst.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  168. 
Muscivora   coronata   Berlepsch   &   Hartert,   p.    48.      (La    Pricion    and 

Nicare,  Caura  River,  Venezuela.) 

This  species  was  not  observed  by  the  writer  but  it  is  reported  by 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert  in  their  paper  as  collected  by  Andre  on  the  Caura 
River. 

MYIOBUJS  BARBATUS  BARBATUS  (Gmelin). 
Muscicapa  barbata  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  933. 
Myiobius  barbatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  49. 

Specimens  of  true  barbatus  were  sent  from  various  points  on  the 
Caura  River  to  the  Tring  Museum,  and  recorded  in  the  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  paper. 

MYIOBIUS  MODESTUS  Todd. 
Myiobius   barbatus  atricaudus   (Lawr.)?    [sic.]  ;   Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  49. 
M  \iobius  modestus  Todd,   Ann.    Carnegie   Mus.   VIII.    1912.  p.    207 

(Type  $ ,  Upata,  Venezuela,  in  Carnegie  Museum). 

Rare.  Found  in  the  thick  woods.  Specimens  were  collected  at 
Caicara  and  on  the  River  San  Feliz  near  its  junction  with  the  Cuchi- 
vero  River.  Only  two  specimens  were  collected  on  my  first  expedi- 
tion to  the  Orinoco  in  February,  1898;  a,  male  and  female  collected  at 
almost  the  same  spot  as  the  Caicara  specimens  were  taken  in  1905. 

In  actions  this  bird  reminds  one  of  our  American  Redstart. 

TfiRENOTRICCUS2    ERYTHRURUS   ERYTHRURUS    (Cabanis). 

Myiobius  erythrurus  Cab.  in  Wiegm.  fur  Naturg.   1844.  P-  249>  PI-  5- 
fig.   i;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  49.      (Nericagua,   Orinoco   River; 
Nicare  and  Suapure,  Caura  River.) 
A  single  specimen  was  taken  in  April,  1899. 

EMPIDOCHANES  ARENACEUS  (Sclater  &  Salvin). 
Ochthoeca  arenacea  Scl.  &  Salv.,    P.  Z.  S.  1877.  P-  2O- 
Empidochanes  arenaceus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  50. 

Observed  and  collected  at  various  points  along  the  river  from  Las 
Barrancas  in  the  delta  region  as  far  as  Caicara.  This  species  fre- 
quents the  thickets  in  heavilv  timbered  areas. 


lFor  the  use  of  this  generic  name  instead  of  Muscivora.  see  Oberholser,  Auk,  XVIII.  1901.  p.  193  • 


•for  tne  use  01  tnis  generic  name  instead  of  Musctvo 
"Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XVIII.  1905.  207. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  243 

Eye  dark  brown;  bill  black,  pale  at  base  of  mandible;  feet  slate 
grey. 

EMPIDONAX  LAWRENCE:  Allen. 

Empidonax  lawrencei  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  II.  1889.  P-  150 
(Type,  Ochthoeca  Havvuentris  Lawrence,  "South  America" — locality 
unknown). 

Empidonax  pilcatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert  p.  50  (Suapure,  Caura  River). 
Not  observed  by  the  writer,  but  Klages  secured  a  specimen  on  the 

Caura   River  at   Suapure    (see  above)    and  the  species   has  been   also 

recorded  from  Cumana  and  Caripe. 

MYIOCHANES  BRACHYTARSUS  (Sclater). 

Empidonax  brachytarsus  Scl.,  Ibis,  I.  1859.  p.  441. 
Horicopus  brachytarsus  depressirostris   (Riclgw.)    ?   [sic]  ;  Berlepsch  & 
Hartert,  p.  50  (Altagracia,  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela). 

A  female  taken  at  Altagracia,  December  16,  1897,  was  sent  to  the 
Tring  Museum,  but  the  writer  has  not  since  observed  the  species  on 
the  Orinoco.  In  Trinidad  it  is  not' uncommon. 

MYIARCHUS  TYRANNULUS  TYRANNULUS  (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 

Muscicapa.  tyrannulus    Miill.,    Natursyst.    Supplement,    1776.    p.    169 

(Cayenne). 
Myiarchus  tyrannulus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  51- 

Common  at  Las  Barrancas  and  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  up  to  and 
beyond  Caicara. 

Adults  have  the  eye  seal  brown;  bill  black;  feet  blackish  slate. 
The  nesting  season  at  Bolivar  begins  early  in  April. 

A  male  bird  was  flushed  from  a  nest  containing  three  fresh  eggs 
April  8th.  The  nest  was  situated  in  a  large  cavity  of  a  fence  post, 
about  1.47  m.  from  the  ground.  The  cavity  was  about  35.5  cm. 
deep,  open  from  above,  and  half  way  down  one  side  the  eggs  were 
easily  seen  at  the  bottom  of  the  nest.  The  nesting  material  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  cow  hair  with  one  or  two  bits  of  cloth  and  many 
pieces  of  cast  off  snake  skin  scattered  through  the  body  of  the  nest 
and  about  its  upper  edge.  A  few  feathers  formed  a  nest-lining,  a 
half-dozen  bright  green  parrot  scapulars  adhering  to  a  piece  of  skin 
being  most  conspicuous. 


244  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

The  eggs  closely  resemble  eggs  of  the  Crested  Flycatcher  of  the 
eastern  United  States.  They  are  pale  creamy  buff  in  color,  marked 
with  longitudinal  lines,  dashes  and  irregular  blotches  of  bay  brown 
overlying  similar  markings  of  purplish  drab.  They  are  ovate  in  form 
and  measure  24.8  x  17;  23.8  x  16.7  and  24  x  17  mm. 

A  second  nest  containing  three  fresh  eggs  was  found  April  I2th. 
This  nest  was  in  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  an  old  rotten  stump,  about 
91.5  cm-  from  the  ground,  the  cavity  being  open  from  above.  The 
nesting  material  was  in  every  way  similar  to  that  described  above. 
The  eggs  are  similar  in  color  but  with  the  markings  more  thickly 
spread  over  the  surface  and  consisting  of  narrower  lines,  scratches 
and  dashes  of  color.  The  measurements  are  24  x  17.5  ;  24.7  x  17.9  and 
24.2  x  17.7  mm.  respectively. 

A  male  in  Juvenal  plumage,  taken  at  Caicara  May  6th,  is  very 
similar  to  the  adult,  differing  only  in  that  the  upper  parts  are  more 
brownish  and  less  olive,  and  that  the  wing-coverts  and  secondaries 
are  broadly  edged  and  tipped  with  pale  russet  instead  of  brownish 
buff. 

MYIARCHUS  FEROX  VENEZUELENSIS  Lawrence. 

Myiarchus  venezuelensis  Lawr.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  1865.  p.  38. 
Myiarchus  ferox  venezuelensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  51. 

Much  less  common  than  the  preceding  species. 

Adult  birds  have  the  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  blackish  slate. 

I  have  compared  specimens  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Caicara 
with  Lawrence's  type  of  venezuelensis  and  find  them  closely  similar. 

MYIARCHUS  TUBERCULIFER  TUBERCULIFER  (Lafresnaye  &  D'Orbigny). 

Tyrannus  tuberculifer  Lafresnaye  &  D'Orbigny,   Syn.  Av.   i,   in  Mag. 

Zool.,  1837,  cl.  ii,  p.  43  (Guarayos,  East  Bolivia). 
Myiarchus  coalei  Ridgway,  Proc.  U.   S.   Nat.   Mus.   IX.    1886.  p.   520 

("Orinoco"). 
Myiarchus  tricolor  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  51    (Quiribana  de  Caicara, 

Nericagua,  Orinoco  River). 

Rare;  seen  only  in  vicinity  of  Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara 
and  on  the  upper  Orinoco  at  Nericagua. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  slate  black. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  245 

EMPIDONOMUS  VARIUS  (Vieillot). 

Muscicapa  varia  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXI.  1818.  pp.  458,  459. 
Empidonomus  varius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  51. 

Not  uncommon  in  the  denser  clumps  of  timber  bordering  shal- 
low streams  on  the  savannas  and  also  frequenting-  the  borders  of  the 
heavy  timber  growth  along  the  Orinoco. 

Immature  birds  differ  from  the  adults  in  not  having  the  tips  of 
the  primaries  abruptly  attenuated,  nor-  have  they  the  yellow  crown 
patch.  A  male  in  Juvenal  plumage  (taken  at  Caicara,  May  ist)  has  the 
entire  top  of  the  head  covered  with  rather  short  blackish  feathers  nar- 
rowly margined  with  ferruginous ;  the  back  is  brownish  black  with 
ferruginous  edges  to  the  feathers ;  wings  and  tail  brownish  black, 
the  rectrices  broadly  margined  on  both  webs  with  ferruginous ;  prim- 
aries, lesser  and  median  coverts  narrowly  margined  with  buffy 
rufous,  greater  coverts  and  inner  primaries  margined  with  white. 
That  the  yellow  crown  patch  is  not  assumed  until  after  the  second 
moult  is  indicated  by  an  immature  female,  taken  at  Caicara  June  iQth, 
that  is  just  assuming  the  adult  plumage. 

The  crown  is  pale  dusky  brownish  sprinkled  with  a  few  black 
feathers  with  bright  yellow  bases.  The  edges  of  the  back  feathers 
and  wing-coverts,  as  in  the  case  of  the  immature  male,  are  rufous. 
The  abdomen  is  a  pale  sulphur  yellow,  very  much  brighter  in  color 
than  in  any  of  the  adults  before  me. 

The  food  of  this  Flycatcher  consists  largely  of  berries  and  other 
small  fruits. 

TYRANNUS  DOMINICENSIS  (Gmelin). 

Laniits  tyrannus  B.  dominicensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  302. 
Tyrannus  dominicensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  52. 

Observed  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  river  only  and  noted 
as  not  uncommon  from  the  delta  region  up  as  far  as  Ciudad  Bolivar. 
Occasionally  specimens  were  noted  as  far  up  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Apure  River. 

This  species  was  nesting  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar,  in 
April.  The  nest  is  similar  in  construction  to  that  of  T.  melancholiciis. 

TYRANNUS  MELANCHOUCUS  SATRAPA   (Cabanis  &  Heine). 
Laphyctes  satrapa  Cab.  &  Hein.,  Mus.  Hein.,  II.  1859.  p.  77. 
Tyrannus  melcmcholicns  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  52. 


246  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Common  in  the  thinly  wooded  savanna  districts;  resembling  in 
its  pugnacious  habits  our  northern  Kingbird. 

Adults  have  the  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  blackish. 

The  nesting  season  in  the  neighborhood  of  Caicara  begins  at  the 
end  of  March  and  continues  into  May.  The  nests  are  open  structures 
loosely  put  together,  rather  bulky  and  consisting  of  twigs,  roots  and 
grasses  without  other  lining  material.  Frequently  the  eggs  can  be 
seen  through  the  nest  walls.  Ordinarily  the  nests  are  from  1.5  m.  to 
35  m.  from  the  ground  placed  near  the  end  of  the  long  horizontal 
limbs  of  the  scrub  oak. 

A  set  of  three  fresh  eggs  collected  at  Caicara  May  7th  was  at  the 
extreme  top  of  a  scrub  oak  (Chaparo),  about  4.57  m.  from  the  ground. 
A  little  lower  down  in  the  same  tree  and  not  1.83  m.  distant  was  a  nest 
of  the  Blue  Tanager,  Thraupis  cana.  The  eggs  are  between  an  ovate 
and  a  short  ovate  in  form  and  measure  23.5x17.5;  24x17.5;  22.5  x 
17.25  mm.  In  color  they  vary  from  whitish  to  very  pale  vinaceous 
buff.  The  markings  chiefly  about  the  larger  end  consist  of  irregular 
spots  and  blotches  of  dark  chestnut  overlying  some  of  hazel  brown  and 
others  yet  deeper  of  lavender. 

MUSCIVORA  TYRANNUS  (Linnaeus). 

Muscicapa  tyrannus  L,.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  325. 

Mihulus   tyrannus   Berlepsch,    Ibis,    1884,   p.    435    (Angostura) ;    Ber- 

lepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  52   (Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Altagracia,  Orinoco. 

Venezuela). 

Native  name  Tijireta.  The  Fork-tail  Flycatcher  was  very  abun- 
dant about  Ciudad  Bolivar  during  the  early  part  of  April,  equally  com- 
mon at  Caicara  during  the  last  of  April  and  the  first  half  of  May.  At 
that  time  they  were  associated  in  large  flocks,  and,  rising  in  com- 
pany, their  long  tail-feathers  fluttering  gracefully,  presented  a  most 
animated  picture. 

After  the  middle  of  May  and  up  to  the  first  of  November  this  Fly- 
catcher is  much  less  commonly  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  two  places 
mentioned.  It  inhabits  the  sparsely  wooded  savanna  where  it  seems 
to  secure  much  of  its  insect  food  from  among  the  tall  grasses.  In 
such  a  locality  when  undisturbed,  single  birds  will  be  seen  to  flutter 
up  from  the  ground,  two  or  three  feet,  in  pursuit  of  some  flying  insect, 
and  again  drop  back  into  the  grass. 


:  ORXITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  247 

PIPRIDAE—  THE  MANIKINS. 

The  writer  has  observed  and  collected  seven-  species  in  the  immedi- 
ate valley  of  the  Orinoco.  Six  of  the  seven  species  are  included  in 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper,  together  with  two  additional  species 
received  by  the  Tring  Museum  from  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

Eleven  species  of  manikins  are  included  in  the  present  list. 

With  one  exception  the  species  observed  by  me  were  seen  only 
at  points  on  the  Upper  Orinoco,  —  that  is,  not  below  the  falls  of  Atures. 
The  exception  was  an  example  of  Pipra  aureola  collected  in  the  delta 
region  at  Las  Barrancas. 

KEY  To  THE  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  GENERA  OF  PIPRIDAE. 

a.     Size  large;  wing  more  than  95  mm  ................................      Laniocera  '  hypopvrrha. 

a'.    Size  smaller;  wing  less  than  95  mm. 

b.     Tail  short,  the  outstretched  feet  reaching  to  or  beyond  its  end. 
c.     Breast  without  dark  striations. 

d.     Breast  white,  uniform  with  throat  on  which  the  feathers  are 

elongated  ................................................      Manacus  manacus  interior. 

d'.    Breast  not  white. 

e.     Back  blue  .............................................      Chiroxiphia  pareola. 

e1.    Back  not  blue. 

/.     General  color  above  and  below  olivaceous  (for  both  sexes). 
g.     Outermost  rectrix  much  narrowed  and  shortened;  and 

with  a  large  bright  yellow  vertical  crown  patch  .........      Tyranneules-  virescens.  * 

g'.  Outermost  rectrix  not  abnormal  and  crown  patch  absent 
or  represented    by  a  few  concealed  pale   yellow   spots 
on  anterior  part  of  crown  ............................      Tyranneules  stolzmanni. 

f.    General  color  not  olivaceous. 
g.     Throat,  breast  and  belly  black. 

h.     Crown  white  .....................................      Pipra  pipra  pipra. 

h'.    Crown  bright  orange  yellow  .......................      Pipra   erylhrocephala    erythro- 

cephala. 
g'.    Breast  crimson,  shading  into  orange  chrome  on  upper 

throat  .............................................      Pipra  aureola  aureola. 

c'.    Breast  striated  .............................................      Machaeroplerus   pyrocephalus. 

b'.    Tail  longer;  outstretched  feet  not  reaching  to  end  of  tail. 

c.     Shafts  of  outer  tail-feathers  elongated,  thread-like  at  tip  ...........      Cirrhipipra  filicauda. 

c'.    Shafts  of  outer  tail-feathers  not  lengthened. 

d.     Upper  throat  white  in  sharp  contrast  with  chestnut  of  lower 

throat  and  breast  .........................................     Heterocercus  flavivertex. 

d'.    Upper  throat  not  white,  not  in  sharp  contrast  with  color  of  lower 

throat  and  breast. 
e.     With  a  yellow  crown  patch  ..............................     Neopelma  igniceps.  « 

e'.    No  crown  patch,  general  color  above  brownish  olive. 

/.     Head  not  tinged  with  rufous  ...........................     Scotolharus  turdinus  olivaceus. 

f.    Head  strongly  tinged  with  rufous  .......................     Scotolharus  turdinus  amazon- 

um. 

CIRRHIPIPRA  FHJCAUDA  (Spix). 

Pipra  filicauda  Spix.  Av.  Bras.  II,  1829,  p.  5.  PI.  8,  figs,  i,  2. 
Cirrhopipra  filicauda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  52. 

Not  observed  in  going  up  the  river  until  in  the  region  of  the  second 
falls,  where,  about  'Maipures,  it  was  abundant. 

'I  follow  Mr.   Ridgway    in    placing  Laniocera  with  the  Pipridae,  notwithstanding  its  general  resem- 
blance to  Lathria  and  Lipaugus,  for  the  tarsus  is  certainly  exaspidean. 
^Tyranneules  Sclater  and  Salvin,  Ibis  1881,  p.  269. 
'Reported  from  British  Guiana  —  Bartica  Grove,  Camacusa  River  and  Carimang. 


4Ex.  Brit.  Gui 


iana. 


248  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

In  life  the  eye  is  cream  color ;  maxilla  black,  mandible  plumbeous ; 
feet  heliotrope  purple. 

PlPRA  ERYTHROCEPHALA  ERYTHROCEPHALA    (Linnaeus). 

[Parus]  erythrocephalus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  191. 

Pipra    erythrocephala    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    53 ;    Hellmayr,    Ibis, 

1906.  p.  20. 

In  ascending  the  river  this  species  was  first  met  with  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Meta,  at  a  point  called  Somborge,  while  from  the  falls  of 
Atures,  as  far  up  as  I  worked,  it  was  abundant. 

It  is  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  various  points  on  the 
Caura  River,  and  Hellmayr  includes  Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta  in  the 
habitat. 

Adults  in  life  have  the  eye  creamy  white;  bill  pearl  white;  feet 
pearl  grey. 

PIPRA  PIPRA  PIPRA  (Linnaeus.) 

[Parus]  pipra  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10,  I.  1758.  p.  190. 

Pipra   leucocilla    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    p.    53 ;    Hellmayr,    Ibis,    1906, 

P-23- 

Not  observed  by  the  writer  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  included  in 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper,  the  Tring  Museum  having  received  speci- 
mens from  Suapure,  La  Pricion  and  Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 

PIPRA  AUREOLA  AUREOLA  (Linnaeus). 

[Parus]  aureola  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I,  1758.  p.  191. 

Pipra  aureola  Hellmayr,  Ibis.  1906.  p.  6  (Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta). 

A  single  specimen  of  this  species,  an  adult  female,  was  collected  at 
Las  Barrancas  in  the  delta  region  July  31,  1907.  It  was  not  observed 
at  other  points  visited  by  the  writer.  It  had  been  previously  recorded, 
however,  from  Guanoco,  also  in  the  Orinoco  Delta. 

TYRANNEUTES  STOLZMANNI  (Hellmayr). 

Pipra  stolsmanni  Hellm.,  Ibis,  1906.  p.  44.     (Type  ex  Marabitanas,  Rio 

Negro) — Nericagua,  Orinoco;  Suapure,  Caura  Riv. 
Pipra  virescens  (nee.  Pelz.)  ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  53. 

Collected  on  the  upper  Orinoco,  at  Nericagua,  by  the  writer.  Re- 
ported also  from  points  on  the  Caura  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  249 

MANACUS  MANACUS  INTERIOR  Chapman. 
Manacns  manacus  interior  Chapman,  Bull.  A.  M.  Nat.  Hist.  XXXIII ; 

1914;    p.    624-625.      (Type    ex    Villavicencio,    Colombia.) — Maripa 

(Caura  Riv.). 
Chiromachaeris  manacus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   53. 

A  young  male  taken  December  24th,  1898,  at  Maipures,  at  the 
second  falls  on  the  river  is  the  only  record  I  have  for  this  species.  The 
American  Museum  contains  a  series  from  Maripa,  on  the  Caura. 

MACHAEROPTERUS  PYROCEPHAI/US  (Sclater). 
Pipra  pyrocephala  Scl.,  Rev.  Zool.  1852.  p.  9. 
Machaeropterus  pyrocephalns  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  54. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  report  speci- 
mens from  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

SCOTOTHORUS    TURDINUS    AMAZONUM     (Sclater). 

Heteropelma  amasonum  Sclater,  P.  Z.   S.   1860.  p.  466   (Chamicuros). 
Scotothorus    amasonum     Berlepsch     &     Hartert,     p.     54     (Nericagua, 

Munduapo,  Orinoco  River). 
Scotothorus  turdmus  amasonum  Hellmayr,   Novit.  Zool.,  XVII,    1910, 

P-  3io. 

Seen  only  in  the  thick  forest  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo  and 
Xericagua. 

SCOTOTHORUS  TURDINUS  OLIVACEUS  Ridgway. 

Scotothorus  olivaceus  Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.,  Wash.,  XIX.  1906.  p. 
118  (Type,  Rio  -Mato,  near  its  mouth,  on  the  Caura  River,  Vene- 
zuela, in  collection  Am.  Mus.). 

Scotothorus  wallacei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  54  (Nicare  and  La 
Pricion,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

Scotothorus  amasonum  wallacii  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.,  XIII.  1906,  pp. 
363-4  (Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

S[cotothorus]     t[urdinus]     olivaceus    Hellmayr,    Novit.    Zool.,    XVII., 
1910,  p.  31. 
Not  noted  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  reported  by  Berlepsch  and 

Hartert  from  the  Caura  River. 

HETEROCERCUS  FLAVIVERTEX  Pelzeln. 

Heterocerus  fiavivertcx  Pelz,  Orn.  Bras.,  1870.  pp.  125,  186;  Ber- 
lepsch &  Hartert,  p.  54. 


250  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6 

H[eterocercus]    angosturae  Berlepsch  &  Leverkiihn   Ornis.   VI.:    1890: 
19   (Orinoco). 
Common  about  Perico  and  at  Maipures,  not  noted  elsewhere. 

LANIOCERA  HYPOPYRRHA   (Vieillot). 

Ampelis  hypopyrrha  Vieillot,  Nouv.  Diet.  VIII.  1817.  p.  164. 
Laniocera  hypopyrrha  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  57. 

This  species  was  noted  only  once,  a  male  having  been  taken  at 
Nericagua  April  5,  1899.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  also  record  specimens 
from  Suapure,  La  Pricion  and  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River. 

COTINGIDAE— COTINGAS,    TITYRAS,    ATTILAS,    BECARDS, 

ETC. 

Fourteen  species  are  included  in  the  present  paper.  Only  eleven 
of  that  number  however  were  observed  or  collected  by  the  writer  on 
the  Orinoco  proper,  the  other  three  species  were  included  in  the 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper  and  came  from  points  on  the  Caura  River, 
but  as  pointed  out  in  my  remarks  under  Tyrannidae,  there  are  a  number 
of  species  included  under  that  heading  having  structural  characters  that 
indicate  their  nearer  relationship  to  the  Cotingidae. 

KEY  TO  THE  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  GENERA  OF  COTINGIDAE. 

a.     Tarsus  pycnaspidean J  or,  essentially,  taxaspidean.  * 

b.     The  plantar  space  on  posterior  side  of  tarsus  broken  up  into  numer- 
ous small  irregular  scutella. 
c.     Rictal  bristles  strongly  developed . 

d^  Upper  part  of  tarsus  feathered  in  front Lalhria  cinerea. 

d'.    Upper  part  of  tarsus  naked ." Pyroderus  orenocensis. 

c'.  Rictal  bristles  weak  or  obsolete. 
d.  Wing  not  more  than  125  mm. 
d'.  Wing  more  than  125  mm. 

/.     A  naked  space  about  the  eye  and  along  the  sides  of  the  neck .     Gymnoderus  foelidus. 
/'.    Loral  region  and  sides  of  neck  feathered. 

g.     With  a  conspicuous  crest  on  pileum Cephalopterus  ornatus. 

g'.    Pileum  not  crested Querula  purpurata. 

b'.    The  plantar  space  on  each  side  of  posterior  half  of  tarsus  with  a  con- 
tinuous row  of  rather  large  scutella. 
c.     Tail  about  as  long  as  wing,  and  all  the  primary  quills  normal  in 

both  sexes • Xenopsaris  albinucha. 

c'.    Tail  much  shorter  than  the  wing,  and  the  next  to  the  outermost 
primary  in  adult  male  much  shortened  and  with  an  acuminate  tip. 

d.     Width  of  bill  at  base  not  greater  than  the  depth  at  the  same  point.    Platypsaris  minor, 
d'.    Width  of  bill  at  base  much  greater  than  the  depth  at  base. 
e.     Wing  more  than  95  mm. 

e".   Wing  less  than  95  mm Erator  inquisitor  erythrogenys. 

f.     Rectrices  rather  broadly  tipped  with  white,  buffy  or  rufous. 

g.     Above  dark  grey,  middle  of  back  varied  with  black  (male).     Pachyrhamphus  atricapillus. 
g'.   Above  black  or  dull  or  greyish  olive. 

A.     Rectrices  white  tipped  (males) Pachyrhamphus  polychroplerus 

niger. 
h'.    Rectrices  tipped  with  buff  or  rufous  (females). 


'"The  broad  plantar  space  on  posterior  side  of  tarsus  broken  up  into  numerous  small  irregular  or 
roundish  scutella  or  granules. "  Ridgway,  Bull.  50  U.  S.  N.  M.  pt.  IV.  1907.  328. 

2"The  broad  plantar  space  occupied  by  two  or,  rarely  three,  series  of  smaller,  quadrate,  rectangular, 
or  hexagonal  scutella"  Ridgway  (/.  c.) 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  251 

«'.     Above  dull  olive  with  head  more  or  less  rufescent. .  .     Pachyrhamphus  marginatus. 

i'.    Head  uniform  with  back  (not  rufescent) Pachyrhamphus  polychropterus 

niger. 

f.    Rectrices  not  broadly  tipped  with  white,  buff  or  rufous, 
g.     Pileum     black,  blackish    or    grey,    sharply    contrasting 

with  general  color  of  the  upper  parts. 
h.     Above  grey,  with  or  without  slight  olive  wash  (male)     Pachyrhamphus  cinereus. 

h'.    Above  tawny  olive Pachyrhamphus  marcidus. 

g'.    Pileum  cinnamon  rufous  nearly  uniform  with  back  (female) ..     Pachyrhamphus  cinereus. 
a'.    Tarsus  neither  pycnaspidean  nor  essentially  taxaspidean. 

b.  Upper  posterior  portion  of  tarsus  (near  heel  joint)  conspicuously  ser- 
rate, and  basal  phalanx  only  of  middle  toe  adherent,  for  most  of  its 

length,  to  the  outer  toe Lipaugus  immundus. 

b'.  Upper  posterior  portion  of  tarsus  not  conspicuously  serrate,  and  the 
middle  and  outer  toes  adherent  for  more  than  the  length  of  the  basal 
phalanx  of  the  middle  toe Attila  wighti. l 

TITYRA  CAYANA  (Linnaeus). 

Lanius  cay  anus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  137. 
Tityra  cayana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  55. 

Not  common.  In  ascending  the  Orinoco  this  species  was  noted  at 
various  points  from  Caicara  to  above  the  second  falls  at  Maipures,  on 
the  upper  river.  A  female  collected  at  Caicara  July  3,  1907,  was  evi- 
dently nesting-  as  the  ovaries  were  active. 

ERATOR  INQUISITOR  ERYTHROGENYS  (Selby). 
Psaris  erythrogenys  Selby,  Zool.  Journ.,  II.  1826.  p.  483. 
Tityra  inquisitor  erythrogenys  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.    1906.  pp. 

327-8  (Rio  Catanapo,  Perico,  Maipures,  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela). 
Tityra  erythrogenys  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  55  (Perico,  Rio  Catanapo, 

Maipures,  Orinoco  River). 

On  my  first  expedition  this  species  was  not  observed  below  the 
Falls  of  Atures,  but  on  the  last  two  expeditions  it  was  not  uncommon 
about  Caicara,. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill,  maxilla  black  with  slate  grey  basal  cutting 
edges,  mandible  slate  grey ;  feet  dusky  slate. 

PLATYPSARIS  MINOR  (Lesson). 
Querula  minor  Less.,  Tr.  d'Orn.  I.  1831.  p.  363. 
Hadrostomus  minor  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  56  (Suapure,  Caura  River, 

Venezuela). 

This  species  was  included  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper,  the 
Tring  Museum  having  received  a  specimen  from  the  Caura  River.  It 
was  not  seen  by  me  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

The  American  Museum  collection  contains  specimens  from  the 
Caura,  received  from  Klages. 

"As  far  as  I  know  this  species  (the  type  of  which  came  from  Trinidad)  has  not  been  taken  at  any 
point  along  the  Orinoco,  but  future  collecting  will  probably  discover  it  there. 


252  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

PACHYRHAMPHUS  CINEREUS  (Boddaert). 

Pipra  cinerea  Bodd.,  Tab.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  43. 
Pachyrhamphus  cinereus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  56. 

Eye  dark  seal  brown ;  bill  plumbeous,  in  the  male  with  the  tip  of  the 
maxilla  black,  in  the  female,  tip  of  maxilla  and  ridge  of  culmen  black ; 
feet  plumbeous. 

PACHYRHAMPHUS  MARCIDUS  Cherrie. 

Pachyrhamphus  marcidus  Cherrie,  Sci.  Bull.  Bklyn.  Inst.  Mus.  I.   1909. 
p.  389  (Type  9  ,  Las  Barrancas,  delta  region,  Orinoco  River,  Ven- 
ezuela). 
Only  two  specimens  secured,  both  from  the  same  locality,  one  day 

apart. 

PACHYRHAMPHUS  POLYCHROPTERUS  NIGER  (Spix). 

Pachyrhynchus  niger  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  1829.  p.  33,  PI.  45,  fig.  I. 
Pachyrhamphus  niger  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  56  (Ciudad  Bolivar, 

Altagracia,  Caicara,  Perico  and  Maipures  River,  Orinoco;  Suapure 

and  La  Pricion,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

Not  uncommon  in  the  low  thick  underbrush  bordering  heavy  timber 
on  one  hand  and  open  savanna  on  the  other.  Found  all  along  the  river 
from  the  delta  region  at  Las  Barrancas  at  least  as  far  as  San  Fernando 
de  Atabopo  above  the  falls. 

The  food  consists  apparently  of  about  equal  parts  of  insects  and 
small  fruits. 

In  the  male  the  eye  is  seal  brown;  bill  plumbeous  black  at  tip;  feet 
slate  grey;  female,  eye  seal  brown;  bill  above  black,  mandible  whitish  at 
base,  slate  grey  at  the  tip ;  feet  slate  grey. 

Considerable  individual  variation  exists  in  the  amount  of  greyish 
mottling  on  the  under  surface,  two  out  of  four  adult  males  having 
narrow  ill-defined  greyish  shaft  streaks  on  the  chin  and  throat.  A  speci- 
men from  Trinidad  has  the  general  under  surface  lighter  grey,  but 
with  less  distinct  mottling.  A  specimen  from  Cayenne  is  nearly  uni- 
form sooty  black  with  very  faintly  indicated  greyish  mottling  on  the 
belly.  The  amount  of  grey  on  the  rump  is  also  extremely  variable,  in 
some  examples  scarce  a  trace  being  visible,  the  rump  being  nearly 
uniform  black  like  the  back. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  253 

PACHYRHAMPHUS  MARGINATUS  (Lichtenstein). 

Todus  marginatus  Lichtenstein,  Verz.  Doubl.  Berliner  Mus.,  p.  51  (1823 

—  Bahia). 
Pachyrham  films   atricapillus   Berlepsch   &    Hartert,    p.    56    (Munduapo, 

Orinoco  River,  Suapure  and  La  Pricion,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

A  single  specimen  taken  at  Munduapo  February  27,  1899. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  plumbeous  with  the  tip  (only)  of  maxilla 
black;  feet  plumbeous. 

XENOPSARIS  ALBINUCHA  (Burmeister). 

Pachyrhamphus  albinucha  Burm.,  P.  Z.  S.  1868.  p.  635  (Rio  de  La  Plata, 

near  Buenos  Ay  res). 
Xenopsaris  albinucha  Ridgway,  Proc.  U.  S.   Nat.  Mus.  XIV.   1891.  p. 

479;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  36. 

Not  uncommon  along  the  middle  Orinoco  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  up 
as  far,  at  least,  as  Caicara. 

Dr.  Burmeister  following  his  original  description  of  this  species 
(/.  c.}  states  that  it  "lives  in  the  sedges  of  the  shores  of  the  Rio  de  La 
Plata."  Along  the  Orinoco  I  found  it  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  sparsely 
wooded  savanna  regions.  In  habits  it  is  much  like  Pachyrhamphus, 
certain  species  of  which  it  also  closelv,  if  superficially,  resembles  ;  and 
one  having  observed  members  of  that  genus,  and  the  present  species, 
in  the  field,  could  not  wonder  at  its  having  been  associated  with 
Pachyrhamphus  by  its  describer.  Also,  Mr.  Ridgway  (/.  c.)  was  cer- 
tainly correct  in  describing  the  genus  Xenopsaris  as  pertaining  to  the 
family  Cotingidae. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  following  Dr.  Cabanis  and  Dr.  Sclater  asso- 
ciate X.  albinucha  with  the  Tyrannidae  "in  the  neighborhood  of  Cnipo- 
legus,"  but  as  pointed  out  by  Ridgway1  the  tarsus  is  not  exaspidean. 
It  may  be  of  interest  to  record  my  observations  on  the  characters  of  the 
tarsal  covering  as  seen  in  fresh  specimens  of  Xenopsaris  and  of  Knipo- 
legus.  In  Xenopsaris  the  acrotarsium  covers  the  anterior  half  only. 
The  outer  posterior  half  is  covered  by  a  series  of  scutella  that  merge, 
at  the  upper  end,  into  the  papillae  covering  the  heel,  and  at  the  lower 
end  into  the  papillae  covered  area  just  above  the  hallux.  On  the  back 
of  the  tarsus  are  three  rows  of  small  irregularly  quadrate  scutella,  those 
making  up  the  row  on  the  inner  side  being  smallest  (papillae  like)  ; 


'Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America  IV.  1907.  pp.  776-7 


254  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE   BULLETIN   2.  6. 

and  between  the  inner  row  and  the  edge  of  the  acrotarsium  there  is  a 
narrow  strip  of  non-scutellate  membrane. 

The  outer  toe  is  longer  than  the  inner  one,  without  claw  it 
reaches  to  the  middle  of  the  subterminal  phalanx  of  the  middle  toe ; 
inner  toe,  without  claw,  reaches  to  just  beyond  the  base  of  the  subtermi- 
nal phalanx  of  the  middle  toe.  Entire  basal  phalanx  of  middle  toe  united 
to  outer  toe,  and  about  one-fourth  its  length  to  the  inner  toe. 

In  Knipolegus  the  acrotarsium  extends  entirely  across  the  outside 
and  around  on  to  the  back  of  the  tarsus,  except  at  the  upper  end  where 
the  posterior  outer  half  is  occupied  by  three  irregularly  quadrate  scutella. 
On  the  inside  the  acrotarsium  extends  about  half  way  across  at  the 
upper  end  and  almost  completely  across  at  the  lower  end.  (In  dried 
skins  the  two  edges  of  the  acrotarsium  usually  meet!)  The  heel  is 
covered  with  roundish  papillae,  but  the  remaining  integument  between 
the  edges  of  the  acrotarsium  is  non-scutellate. 

The  outer  and  middle  toes  are  united  at  the  base  for  the  length  of 
the  basal  phalanx  of  the  outer  toe.  The  inner  and  middle  toes  are  cleft 
almost  to  the  base. 

LATHRIA  CINEREA  (Vieillot). 

Ampelis  cinerea  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VIII.  1817.  p.  162. 
Lathria  cinerea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  57. 

Native  name  Pajaro  miner o.  Not  observed  until  above  the  second 
falls  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua,  where  it  was  abundant,  inhabiting 
the  dense  forest  where  it  frequents  the  lower  branches  of  the  larger 
trees. 

I  shall  always  remember  with  pleasure  what  a  thrill  of  expectancy 
shot  through  me  when  I  first  heard  the  clear  ringing  call  of  this  bird. 
I  was  in  the  dark  thick  gomales  forest  (rubber  trees)  following  an 
Indian  trail  when  I  was  startled  by  a  loud  metallic  whistle  that  seemed 
to  come  from  directly  over  my  head,  high  up  in  the  tree  tops  ;  in  a 
moment  I  heard  it  off  to  my  right,  then  to  my  left ;  first  on  this  side, 
then  on  that.  Then  other  clarion  calls  came  from  the  dense  forest 
all  about  me,  some  near,  others  only  faintly  heard  in  the  distance. 
The  almost  death-like  stillness  that  seemed  to  pervade  the  twilight 
quietude  of  the  forest  had  suddenly  been  broken  and  the  air  rever- 
berated with  high-pitched,  long-drawn  whistling  calls.  It  was  a  new 
call  to  me,  one  that  sent  the  blood  coursing  with  expectancy.  I 
stepped  cautiously  forward  peering  intently  into  the  thick  canopy 
of  leaves  far  above  me.  The  calls  were  most  tantalizing  and  my 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  255 

neck  ached  with  the  strain  of  gazing  upward  when  my  eye  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  good-sized,  dark-colored  bird  alighting  on  a  bare  branch 
only  about  3  meters  from  the  ground  and  about  9  meters  from  where 
I  stood.  For  an  instant  I  forgot  the  enticing  whistles  and  gave  my 
attention  to  this  quiet  dweller  of  the  forest.  As  I  looked  the  body 
stiffened  and  its  owner  sat  up  sharply  erect,  the  bill  opened  and  the 
mystery  of  those  notes  that  had  so  thrilled  me  and  brought  every  sense 
into  unison  was  solved.  This  modestly  dressed  piper  was  the  master 
ventriloquist. 

LIPAUGUS  IMMUNDUS  Sclater  &  Salvin. 

Lipaugus  immundus  Scl.  &  Salv.,  Nomencl.  Av.  Neotr.,  1773.  pp.  57,  159. 
Lipaugus  simplex  immundus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  57  (Nericagua  and 

Perico,  Orinoco  River,  Suapure  and  La  Pricion,  Caura  River). 

Rare.  This  species,  on  my  first  expedition,  was  observed  and 
collected  at  Perico  and  Nericagua  only.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
record  Tring  Museum  examples  from  La  Pricion  and  Suapure  on  the 
Caura  River,  and  in  1907  the  writer  observed  and  collected  specimens 
at  La  Cascabel  on  the  San  Feliz  River  near  its  junction  with  the 
Cuchivero  River. 

Eye  bay  brown;  bill  black;  feet  slate  color. 

A  male  collected  at  La  Cascabel,  May  26,  1907,  has  a  distinct  nar- 
row greyish  collar  extending  completely  around  the  neck. 

ATTILA  UROPYGIALIS  (Cabanis). 

Dasycephala  uropygialis  Cab.  in  Schomb.  Reise  Brit.  Guiana,  III.  1848. 

p.  686. 
Attila  uropygialis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  58. 

This  species  was  not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  speci- 
mens were  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  from  Suapure  and  La  Pricion 
on  the  Caura  River. 

QUERULA  PURPURATA  (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 

Mnscicapa  purpurata  Mull.,  Natursyst.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  169. 
Querula  purpurata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   58. 

Not  seen  by  the  writer  but  collected  by  both  Andre  and  Klages 
on  the  Caura  River  and  recorded  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper. 

PYRODERUS  SCUTATUS  ORENOCENSIS  (Lafresnaye). 
Coracina  orenocensis  Lafresnaye,  Rev.  Zool.  1846,  p.  277  ("Orenoque"). 


256  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Pyroderus  [scutatus  orenocensis]  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist. 

XXXIII:  1914:  p.  631  (Altagracia,  Orinoco  Riv.). 

The  recording  by  Chapman  of  a  specimen  collected  by  M.  A. 
Carriker  at  Altagracia  on  the  Orinoco  confirms  Lafresnaye's  type 
locality  "Orenoque." 

CEPHALOPTERUS  ORNATUS  Geoffroy. 

Cephalopterus  ornatus  Geoffr.,  Ann.  d.  Mus.  Paris  XIII.  1809.  p.  238,  PL 

17;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  58. 

After  passing  the  mouth  of  the  river  Meta,  on  my  way  up  the 
Orinoco,  this  species  was  occasionally  observed,  and  specimens  were 
collected  at  Samborge  and  Nericagua.  They  are  both  difficult  to  see, 
and  difficult  to  get,  from  their  habit  of  keeping  to  the  very  tops  of 
the  high  forest  trees. 

Adults  have  the  eye  pearl  grey ;  bill  black  above,  plumbeous  below ; 
feet  slate  grey. 

GYMNODERUS  FOETIDUS  (Linnaeus). 
Gracula  foetida  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  164. 
Gymnoderus  foetidus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  58. 

Native  name  Pavita.  This,  like  the  preceding  species,  is  rarely 
seen  as  it  keeps  to  the  thick  foliage  of  the  tree  tops.  It  was  not  met 
with  below  the  mouth  of  the  Meta. 


RUPICOLIDAE— THE  COCK  OF  THE  ROCK. 
RUPICOLA  RUPICOLA    (Linnaeus). 

Pipra  rupicola  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  338. 
Rupicola  rupicola  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  58. 

Although  no  specimens  were  collected  this  species  was  frequently 
observed  about  the  Maipures  rapids  on  the  Orinoco. 

FURNARIIDAE— THE  OVENBIRDS. 

Accepting  Mr.  Ridgway's  characterization  of  the  family  of  the  oven- 
birds1.  I  find  it  represented  in  the  Orinoco  region  by  seven  genera  in 
which  are  included  fourteen  species  and  subspecies. 

Members  of  this  family  are  remarkable  for  the  very  unusual 
character  and  variety  of  their  nests. 

'Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America  V:i9ii:  p.  157. 


CHERRIE  ;  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  257 

I  believe  all  the  species  found  in  our  region  are  permanent  residents 
there.  Several  of  the  forest  frequenting  species  such  as  those  that 
pertain  to  the  genera  Philydor,  Xenops,  and  Automolus  are  commonly 
found  in  the  small  flocks  of  birds  (made  up  of  many  unrelated  forms) 
that  wander  aimlessly  about  the  forests  and  that  are  so  characteristic 
of  bird  life  in  the  tropics. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  FURNARIIDAE. 

a.     Maxilla  with  tip  not  at  all  decurved;  mandible  strongly  recurved  ter- 

minally.. .          Xenops genibarbis. 

a  .    Maxilla  with  tip  more  or  less  decurved  and  mandible  not  recurved  ter- 
minally. 

b.     Nostrils  decidedly  operculate,  opening  a  narrow  longitudinal  slit. 
c.     Breast  streaked,  the  feathers  with  buffy  shaft  streaks. 

d.     Tail  short,  slightly  rounded;  outstretched  feet  reaching  to  end  of 

tail Microxenops  milleri. 

d'.    Tail  long,  graduated ;  outstretched  feet  falling  far  short  of  end  of 

tail Thripophaga  cherriei. 

c  .    Breast  feathers  without  buffy  shaft  streaks. 
d.     A  distinct,  yellow,  yellowish,  black  or  blackish  chin  spot. 

e.     Breast  hazel  brown — chin  and  upper  throat  blackish Synallaxis  rutilans. 

e'.    Breast  not  hazel. 
/.     Crown  chestnut  brown,  in  sharp  contrast  with  remaining 

upper  parts Siptornis  hyposticta. 

f  .    Crown  practically  uniform  in  color  with  back. 

g.  PrimanMiiillswith  distal  half  (more  or  less)  of  inner  webs 
blackish,  the  line  between  that  and  the  rufous  basal  por- 
tion being  abruptly  transverse Synallaxis  cinnamomea. 

g'.  The  blackish  color  of  the  distal  part  of  the  inner  webs  of 
theprimariesextends  well  toward  the  base  of  the  Quills  along 
the  shaft,  the  line  between  the  blackish  tips  and  rufous 

base  extending  diagonally  across  the  web  of  the  feathers .  .     Synallaxis  gujanensis. 
d'.    Chin  spot  (if  present)  neither  yellowish  nor  blackish. 

e.     General  color  of  upper  parts  bright   hazel   brown   (pileum 

darker) Synallaxis  vulpina  alopecias. 

e'.   General  color  of  upper  parts  buffy-brown,  or  olive-brown  with 
rufous  wash. 

/.     Tail  brown,  nearly  uniform  with  back Synallaxis    albescens    albigul- 

aris. 

/'.   Tail  nearly  walnut  brown,  not  uniform  with  back Synallaxis   gujanensis   gujan- 
ensis. 

b'.    Nostrils  not  operculate   (opening  not  slitlike),  rounded,    opening 
upward. 

c.     General  color  of  under  parts  bright  raw  sienna Philydor  pyrrhodes. 

c'.    General  color  of  under  parts  buffy-brown,  olive  buff,  or  dusky 

tawny  olive. 
d.     Feathers  of  crown   (slightly  elongated)  and  occiput  chestnut, 

very  distinct  from  the  rusty  raw-umber  of  the  back Philydor    rufipilea.us    como' 

brinus. 
d'.    Feathers  of  crown  and  occiput  nearly  concolor  with  back,  not 

chestnut. 
«.     A  well  denned  buffy-yellow  superciliary'stripe  extending  from 

the  bill  to  the  occiput;  throat  reed  yellow Philydor  ruficaudalus. 

e'.    No  superciliary  stripe,  or,  if  present,  not  well  developed,  and 

throat  not  reed  yellow. 
/.     General  color  of  under-parts  tawny  olive  brown,  paler  in  the 

centre;  chin  and  upper  throat  pinkish  buff Aulomolus  turdinus. 

/'.    General  color  of  under-parts  without  tawny  shade;  chin, 
throat  and  middle  of  breast  cartridge  buff  (Ridgway's); 

sides  dusky  olive-brown A  utomolus  infuscatus  cervical- 

«J, 

SYNALLAXIS  ALBESCENS  ALBIGULARIS  Sclater.  . 
Synallaxis  albicjulans  Scl..  P.  Z.  S.    1858.  p.  63. 
Synallaxis  albescens  albigularis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  59. 

Noted  from  the  delta  region  at  Las  Barrancas  up  as  far  as  the 
mouth  of  the  Apure  River. 


258  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

An  immature  bird  collected  at  Las  Barrancas,  August  I,  1907, 
is  nearly  uniform  bistre  brown  above,  the  wings  and  tail  dusky  brown- 
ish edged  with  the  color  of  the  back ;  below,  the  throat  and  belly  are 
pale  buff  washed  with  ochraceous.  Sides  of  upper  breast  brownish 
olive  almost  meeting  across  the  breast;  under  tail-coverts,  sides  and 
flanks  buffy  olive;  under  wing-coverts  ochraceous  buff.  In  life  the 
eye  was  sepia  brown;  bill  above  black,  below  dusky  grey;  feet  dusky 
pea  green. 

The  White-throated  Spine-tails  frequent  the  almost  impenetrable 
thickets  of  thorny  bushes,  vines  and  stunted  trees  that  spring  up  in 
areas  which  have  been  cleared  for  cultivation  and  later  abandoned,  and 
also  in  localities  where  the  soil  seems  so  poor  as  to  be  unable  to  sup- 
port anything  besides  thorny  bushes. 

In  habits  they  remind  one  somewhat  of  the  wrens.  Their  flight 
is  weak  and  when  disturbed  they  only  fly  a  few  feet  at  a  time,  from 
one  thicket  to  another,  rarely  if  ever  mounting  into  the  tree  tops. 

The  breeding  season  is  evidently  a  long  one,  as  at  Caicara  I  have 
found  nests  with  fresh  eggs  the  first  of  May  and  again  in  the  middle 
of  August.  The  nests  are  extraordinary  structures  from  40  to  50  cm. 
in  length,  composed  of  dry,  usually  thorny  twigs,  from  5  to  15  cm. 
in  length,  skillfully  woven  into  an  upright  cylindrical  shaped 
mass  with  a  long  tubular  entrance  to  the  nest  cavity,  which  occupies 
the  lower  half  of  the  cylinder.  They  are  sometimes  built  within  from 
3.5  to  15  cm.  of  the  ground  among  the  thorns  of  low  bushes,  the  foliage 
of  which  completely  hides  the  nest.  Again,  I.  have  found  them  1.22  m. 
from  the  ground,  above  the  tops  of  the  surrounding  bushes,  not  in 
any  way  concealed,  the  body  of  the  nest  resting  in  the  forks  of  a  low 
tree  and  the  entrance  tube  supported  along  the  top  of  one  of  the  limbs. 
The  twigs  at  the  top  of  the  body  of  the  nest  are  laid  longitudinally  so 
as  to  form  a  sort  of  thatched  roof  over  all.  The  eggs  are  a  uniform 
pale  greenish  in  color ;  and  three  constitute  a  full  set. 

A  nest,  and  three  fresh  eggs  taken  at  Caicara  May  9th,  was  built 
only  about  15  .cm.  above  the  ground  in  a  low  dwarfed  tree,  whose 
branches  bristled  with  short,  thin  and  exceedingly  sharp  thorns.  It 
was  completely  concealed  from  above  and  on  the  sides  by  foliage. 
The  nest  is  constructed  entirely  of  small,  dry,  and  for  the  most  part 
thorny  sticks,  from  5  to  12  cm.  in  length.  But,  in  spite  of  the  thorns, 
and  the  consequent  irregular  shape  of  the  twigs  employed,  they  are 
laid  together  and  interwoven  with  such  skill  that  only  very  small 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  259 

interstices  are  to  be  observed,  and  considerable  force  was  required  to 
make  an  opening  through  the  nest  walls  in  order  to  remove  the  eggs. 
This  nest,  bristling  with  thorns,  and  built  of  strongly  interwoven 
twigs,  together  with  its  peculiar  shape,  would  seem  to  offer  an  ideal 
concealment  and  safe  retreat  for  the  eggs  and  the  parent  bird  during 
incubation  and  later  for  the  helpless  young.  The  eggs  are  a  pale 
greenish  in  color,  ovate  in  form  and  measure  19.8x12.2;  20.2x15.5 
and  20.5x15.5  mm. 

A  second  nest  taken  on  the  same  date  was  similar  in  general  shape 
and  in  the  materials  employed  in  construction,  but  was  some  40  cm. 
from  the  ground  in  the  forks  of  a  low  tree.  It  was  not,  however,  in 
any  degree  concealed  by  foliage ;  and  the  entrance  tube  was  almost 
at  right  angles  to  the  body  of  the  nest,  its  position  doubtless  being 
determined  by  the  supporting  limb,  while  the  entrance  tube  in  the 
example  described  above  entered  at  an  angle  of  about  45°  to  the  body 
of  the  nest.  This  nest  contained  three  eggs  with  incubation  well 
advanced.  The  eggs  are  uniform  in  color  with  the  ones  above 
described  but  are  more  of  a  short  ovate  in  form.  They  measure 
19  x  15.2;  19.3  x  15.5  and  18  x  15.5  mm. 

SYNALLAXIS  CINNAMOMEA  (Gmelin). 

Ccrthia  cinnamomea  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  480. 
Synallaxis  cinnamomea  Berlepsch  &  Ha'rtert,  p.  59. 

Found  abundantly  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  at  various  points  on  the 
San  Feliz  River  near  its  junction  with  the  Cuchivero  River  (and  in 
1897  very  common  at  Altagracia,  half  way  between  Bolivar  and  Cai- 
cara),  but  rarely  met  with  at  Caicara.  It  inhabits  the  thickets  and 
low  bushes  bordering  streams  and  ponds. 

Eye  in  different  examples,  varying  from  a  hazel  brown  to  a  pale  hair 
brown ;  bill,  plumbeous  above,  pale  below ;  feet,  from  a  slate  to  a 
plumbeous  grey. 

A  nest  containing  two  fresh  eggs,  together  with  the  parent  bird, 
was  collected  at  Las  Guacas  on  the  San  Feliz  River  May  31.  1907. 
The  nest,  similar  in  structure  and  similarly  located  to  nests  of  S.  a. 
ulbignlaris,  was  about  60  cm.  from  the  ground  in  the  centre  of  a  thorny 
bush.  The  eggs,  a  pale  greenish  or  bluish  green  in  color,  are  ovate 
in  form  and  measure  19.25  x  14.35  mm.  and  19.25  x  14.5  mm,  respect- 
ivelv. 

Beebe  obtained  specimens  at  Guanoco  in  the  delta  region. 


200  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BUCLETIN  2.  6. 

SYNALLAXIS  GUJANENSIS  GUJANENSIS   (Gmelin). 

Motacilld  gujanensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  988. 
Synallaxis  guianensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  59. 

This  species  was  not  observed  on  my  earlier  expeditions,  but  in 
July,  1907,  two  adult  males  were  collected  at  Las  Barrancas  in  the 
delta  region. 

In  the  American  Museum  there  is  an  adult  female  collected  by 
Klages  at  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River,  Sept.  26,  1901. 

Eye  dusky  brown ;  -bill  above  black,  below  slate  grey ;  feet  grey. 

The  Tring  Museum  received  specimens  from  La  Pricion  on  the 
Caura  River. 

SYNALLAXIS  RUTILANS  Temminck. 

Synallaxis  rutilans  Temm.,  PI.  Col.  1823.  p.  227;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  60. 

Seen  only  on  the  upper  river  above  the  falls  of  Maipures,  at 
Nericagua.  Klages  and  Andre  both  collected  specimens  on  the 
Caura  River  (Suapure,  La  Pricion,  Nicare  and  La  Union)  that  were 
sent  to  the  Tring  Museum.  There  are  two  females  in  the  American 
Museum  collected  by  Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River,  one  in 
September,  the  other  in  February. 

SlPTORNIS  VULPINA   ALOPECIAS    (Pelzeln). 

Synallaxis  alopecias  Pelz.,  Sitz.  Akad.  Wien,  XXXIV.  1859.  p.  101. 
Synallaxis  vulpina  alopecias  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  59. 

Common  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  at  all  points  visited  along  the 
Orinoco  up  to  and  beyond  the  falls  of  Maipures.  It  frequents  the 
thickets  bordering  streams  and  ponds. 

Adults  have  the  eye  vandyke  brown ;  bill  dark  brown  above,  lilac 
grey  below;  feet  sage  green. 

A  nest  and  two  fresh  eggs  were  collected  at  Caicara  July  2,  1907. 
One  egg  of  the  set  was  accidentally  crushed,  the  remaining  egg  is 
pure,  dull  white,  ovate  in  form  and  measures  20x15.5  mm.  Three 
weeks  prior  to  the  collecting  of  the  eggs  and  nest  a  pair  of  Fox-red 
Spine-tails  were  observed  hovering  about  what  appeared  to  be  a  mass 
of  drift  grass  that  had  lodged  between  the  forks  at  the  top  of  a  slender 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  261 

sapling,  and  that  at  that  time  was  some  2.13  m.  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  water.  (The  sapling  stood  in  a  flooded  area  and  at  that 
level  of  the  water  was  perhaps  one  hundred  meters  from  the  river 
shore.)  Masses,  similar  to  that  at  which  the  Spine-tails  were  work- 
ing, are  common  all  along  the  river  and  represent  in  many  cases 
veritable  accumulations  of  drift  but  quite  as  often  they  are  doubtless 
the  old  nests  of  such  species  as  Pitangus  sulphuratus  rufipennis,  Myio- 
zetetes  cayanensis  rufipennis  or  M.  texensis  columbianus  that  have  been 
submerged  during  the  flood  season,  and  impregnated  with  the  fine  sedi- 
ment from  the  surrounding  water.  After  the  waters  recede,  the  mud  filled 
masses  of  drift  become  tenanted  with  many  forms  of  insect  life  and  soon 
develop  into  a  favorite  hunting  ground  for  various  species  of  insect 
feeding  birds  that  gradually  tear  them  to  pieces,  often  piercing  them 
with  tunnels  in  their  search  for  insect  prey.  It  was  such  a  torn  and 
ragged  bit  of  drift  that  the  Spine-tails  laid  claim  to  it  as  their  own  spe- 
cial property.  The  interior  was  hollowed  out  and  enlarged,  and 
finally  one  of  the  entrances  that  had  formed  a  part  of  a  tunnel  through 
the  nest  was  closed,  some  dry  soft  leaves  and  wood-fiber  were  taken  in 
as  a  foundation  for  an  inner  nest  lining  of  grey  lichens — the  nest  was 
completed  but  outwardly  still  looked  a  mere  bunch  of  drift. 

While  the  form  of  this  nest,  the  materials  employed  in  its  general 
structure  and  the  site  chosen  all  differ  widely  from  the  nests  of  other 
species  of  spine-tails  that  I  had  opportunity  to  examine  (such  as  that 
described  under  Synallaxis  albescens  albigularis)  there  remains,  in  the 
use  of  grey  lichens  as  the  inner  lining  of  the  nest,  a  characteristic  com- 
mon to  all.  Is  this  use  of  grey  lichens  in  lining  the  nest  cavity  an 
hereditary  custom  descended  from  a  distant  common  ancestor? 

Two  eggs  of  the  Venezuelan  Cowbird  (Molothrus  bonariensis 
venezuelensis)  were  found  in  the  nest  with  those  of  the  Spine-tails. 


SlPTORNIS    HYPOSTICTA    (Pelzeln). 

Synallaxis  hyposticta  Pelz.,  Sitz.  Akad.  Wien,  1859.  p.  102. 
Siptornis  hyposticta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  60. 

Noted  only  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua.    Speci- 
mens were  also  taken  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River  by  Klages. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  there  is  a  single  specimen  from 
La  Union  on  the  Caura  River,  an  adult  male,  collected  October  23rd. 


262  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

THRIPOPHAGA  CHERRiEi1   Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Thripophaga  cherriei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  60 

(Capuano,  Orinoco  River). 

The  male  and  female  specimens  on  which  this  species  is  based  were 
collected  Feb.  5,  1899,  at  a  small  Piaroa  Indian  settlement  called 
Capuano  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Orinoco  and  about  twenty-five  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  river  Vichado.  The  species  had  not  been  ob- 
served on  subsequent  expeditions. 

H.  von  Berlepsch  further  says : — 

"This  new  species,  which  we  have  great  pleasure  to  name  after  its 
discoverer,  Mr.  G.  K.  Cherrie,  seems  to  be  quite  distinct  from  any 
species  described  hitherto.  In  its  uniform  upper  surface  it  lesembles 
somewhat  Th.  fusciceps  Scl.  from  Bolivia;  but  it  is  a  much  smaller  bird, 
and  has  a  dark  orange-rufous  mark  on  the  upper  part  of  the  throat 
wanting  in  that  species. 

"The  upper  parts  of  the  body  in  the  new  species  are  of  a  dark 
olivaceous  brown  with  a  rufescent  tinge,  which  is  not  observable  on  the 
pileum,  this  being  of  a  paler  olivaceous  brown.  The  under  parts  of  the 
body  are  of  a  much  clearer  olivaceous  brown  with  a  fulvescent  tinge. 
The  lower  throat,  the  upper  breast  and  the  sides  of  the  head  show  a 
narrow  and  sharp  creamy  buff  stripe  in  the  middle  of  each  feather, 
which  is  widening  a  little  to  the  tip  of  the  feather.  The  large  mark  on 
the  upper  throat  is  of  a  dark  orange  rufous  color.  The  upper  surface 
of  the  wings  is  of  a  dark  but  vivid  rufous  brown.  The  tail,  with  the 
upper  tail-coverts,  is  of  a  bright  chestnut.  The  under  wing-coverts  are 
cinnamon,  and  the  inner  margins  of  the  remiges  are  fulvous  brown. 
The  upper  mandible  and  the  legs  are  dusky  brown,  the  under  mandible 
is  yellowish. 

"Capuano:   $   adult  in  much  worn  plumage,   9   5.  ii.,  '99. 

"  'Iris  wood-brown ;  feet  sage-green ;  bill  above  dusky  smoke-grey, 
below  pale  grey.' 

JAs  I  believe,  the  type  (an  adult  female),  anda  male  taken  at  the  same  time,  are  still  the  only  specimens 
in  existence  in  museums,  I  reproduce  herewith  the  original  description: — 

"Thripophaga  cherriei,  sp.  nov.   (PI.  XII,  f.  2). 

_  "Thr.  corpore  supra  obscure  rufescente  olivaceo-brunneo,  absque  striis  vel  maculis,  pileo  pallidiore 
magis  olivacep,  corpore  subtus  cum  capitas  lateribus  clariore  fulvescente  olivaceo  brunneo,  collo  inferiore, 
pectore  capitisque  lateribus  striis  angustis  definitis  fulvescenti-albis  instructis,  macula  magna  in  gula 
superiore  intense  aurantio-rufa,  alis  extus  obscure  castaneo-brunneis,  cauda  tectricibusque  supracau- 
dalibus  obscure  castaneis,  tectricibus  subalaribus  cinnamomeis  remigibus  intus,  f  ulvo-brunneo  marginatis; 
maxilla  pedibusque  corneis.  mandibula  flavescente. 

c?  al.  67,  caud.  68,  culm.  I4K.  tars.  19      mm. 
"    66,       "      65,       "      I4K.     "      i8K  mm. 


"Habitat:  circum  Capuano,  Rio  Orinoco. 
Typus:  in  Mus.  H.  von  Berlepsch  (cf  5.  ii.  '99)." 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  263 

"(Nos.  11834,  11835,  Cherrie  coll.). 

"The  female  is  like  the  male,  save  that  the  back  is  slightly  more 
rufous,  and  the  longitudinal  marks  on  the  chest  are  more  fulvescent.  It 
is  also  a  little  smaller." 

AUTOMOLUS  TURDINUS  (Pelzeln). 

Anabates  turdinus  Pelz.,  Sitz.  Wien,  1859.  p.  no  (Brazil). 
Automolus  turdinus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  61. 

Seen  only  at  Munduapo.     Two  males  taken  in  February. 

AUTOMOLUS  INFUSCATUS  CERVICALIS  (Sclater). 
Philydor  cervicalis  Sclater,  P.  Z.  S.,  1889.  p.  33.  (Bartica  Grove,  Cama- 

cusa,  British  Guiana). 
Automolus  sclateri   Berlepsch   &   Hartert,   p.   61    (Nericagua,   Orinoco 

River,  La  Pricion,  La  Union  and  Nicare,  Caura  River,  Venez.). 
Automolus  infuscatus  cervicalis  Scl. ;  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906. 

p.  335.    Caura  River  and  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela ;  British  Guiana. 

Observed  only  on  the  upper  Orinoco.  Male  and  female  (adults) 
taken  at  Nericagua  during  March-.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record 
specimens  from  La  Pricion,  La  Union  and  Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 

Three  specimens,  two  males  and  a  female,  collected  by  Klages 
at  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River,  are  in  the  American  Museum. 
These  specimens  have  the  crown  of  the  head  slightly  rufescent  in 
contrast  with  the  olive  brown  back  which  serves  at  a  glance  to 
distinguish  them  from  a  specimen  from  the  upper  Amazon — a  true 
A.  infuscatus. 

PHILYDOR  PYRRIIODES  (Cabanis). 
Anabates  pyrrhodes  Cab.   in   Schomb.,   Reise   Brit.   Guiana,   III.    1848. 

p.  689." 
Philydor  pyrrhodes  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  62. 

Not  uncommon  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua. 
Not  observed  elsewhere. 

PHILYDOR  RUFICAUDATUS  (d'Orb  &  Lafr). 
Anabates   ruficaudatus   Lafresnaye    et    d'Orbigny    Syn.   Av.    II:    1838: 

p.  15  (Bolivia). 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  there  is  a  specimen  from  the 
foot  of  Mt.  Duida,  collected  by  Miller  &  Iglseder. 


264  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

PHILYDOR  RUEIPILEATUS  CONSOBRINUS  Sclater. 
Philydor  consobrinus  Scl.  P.  Z.  S.  1870.  p.  323  (Bogota). 
Philydor  consobrinus  rufipileatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX. 

1902.  p.  61. 
Philydor  rufipileatus  consobrinus  Hellmayr  Verb.  Zool.— bot.  Ges.  Wien. 

LIU.  19x53.  p.  220  (River  Caura,  Venez.). 

Recorded  from  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  and 
by  Hellmayr.  Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

XENOPS  GENIBARBIS  Illiger. 
Xenops  genibarbis  111.,  Prodr.  Orn.  1811.  p.  213;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  62. 

Not  noted  until  after  passing  above  the  falls  of  Atures ;  common 
from  that  point  onward.  Specimens  were  collected  at  Munduapo, 
Nericagua  and  Maipures. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  specimens  from  La  Union,  Nicare 
and  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

MICROXENOPS  MiLLERi    (Chapman). 

Microxenops  milleri  Chapman,   Bull.   Am.   Mus.   Nat.   Hist.   XXXIII: 
1914:  196  (Foot  of  Mt.  Duida,  Upper  Orinoco,  Venez.). 
Type  in  collection  of  American  Museum. 

DENDROCOLAPTIDAE— THE  WOODHEWERS. 

Twenty-six  species  and  subspecies  were  included  in  the  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  paper,  twenty-three  of  which  number  were  collected  by 
the  writer  on  the  Orinoco  proper  and  three  received  by  the  Tring 
Museum  from  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  as  with  the  Furnariidae,  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  species  and  of  individuals  was  found  in  the  heavily  forested 
regions  above  the  cataracts  of  Atures  and  Maipures. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  DENDROCOLOPTIDAE. 

a.     Nostrils  narrow  and  elongated  with  a  distinct  operculum. 
6.     Tips  of  rectrices  strongly  decurved. 

c.     Bill  wedge-shaped,  tip  of  maxilla  flattened  (horizontally). 
a.     Throat  pale  ochraceous-orange ;  brown  of  back  less  intense  ap- 
proaching Dresden-brown Glyphorhynchus  cunealus 

d'.  •  Throat  dark  ochraceous-orange;  brown  of  back  more  intense  ap- 
proaching Brussels-brown Glyphorhynchus  cuneatus  cas- 

c'.    Bill  slender,  not  wedge-shaped,  tip  of  maxilla  pointed Siitasomu's    amazonus. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  265 

b'.    Tips  of  rectrices  very  slightly  or  not  at  all  decurved. 

c.  Lores  and  chin  buffy  gray,  general  color  of  under  parts  a  dark 
Isabella  color  (Ridgway's  Color  Standards),  wing  usually  more 
thanioomm Dendrocinda  olivacea  phae- 

c'.  Lores  dusky  gray,  chin  whitish,  general  color  of  under  parts  brown- 
ish olive,  wing  usually  less  than  100  mm Dendrocinda  merula 

a'.    Nostrils  rounded,  operculum  indistinct  or  absent. 

6.     Bill  very  long  and  slender  and  much  curved Campylorhamphus      trochilir- 

b'.    Bill  not  unusually  long,  slender  or  much  curved. 

c.  Back  not  marked  with  pale  or  buffy  shaft  lines  or  stripes  (at  least 
not  indicated  on  more  than  anterior  part  of  mantle  and  then  in 
combination  with  a  whitish  bill). 

d.     Top  of  head  not  marked  with  shaft  lines  or  spots Xiphocolaptes  major. 

d'.   Top  of  head  distinctly  marked  with  shaft  lines  or  spots. 

e.     Feathers  of  back  marked  with  indistinct  transverse  dusky  bars     Dendrocolaples  certhia. 
e'.    Feathers  of  back  without  any  indication  of  transverse  bars. 
/.     Large,  total  length  more  than  25  cm.;  wing  more  than  120 

mm Nasica  longirostris. 

•  .  /'.    Smaller,  total  length  less  than  25  cm.;  wing  less  than  120 

mm. 

g.     Crown  marked  with  narrow,  pale,  buffy  shaft  streaks  ....     Dendroplex  picus  picus. 
g'.    Crown  marked  with  broadly  guttate  buffy  shaft  spots ....      Dendroplex  picirosiris. 
c'.    Back  distinctly  marked  with  buffy  shaft  lines  or    stripes,    bill 

blackish. 
d.     Under  parts,  including  under  tail-coverts,  with  distinct,  well 

defined,  pale,  buffy  streaks Picolaptes  albolineatus. 

d'.    Streaks  on  under  parts,  if  extending  to  crissum  and  under  tail- 
coverts,  then  not  distinct  or  well  defined. 
e.     Feathers  of  chin  and  upper  throat  narrowly  edged  with  dusky 

or  blackish. 
/.     Distance  from  nostrils  to  tip  of  bill  greater  than  length  of 

tarsus, 
g.     Chin  and  upper  throat  whitish  or  pale  buffy,  cutting  edge 

of  maxilla  distinctly  decurved  at  the  tip Xiphorhynchus  jardinei. 

g' .    Chin  and  upper  throat  ochraceous  buff,  cutting  edge  of 

maxilla  nearly  straight Xiphorhynchus  pardalotus. 

/',    Distance  from  nostrils  to  tip  of  bill  not  greater  than  length 

of  tarsus Xiphorhynchus  obsolelus    no- 

latus. 

e'.    Feathers  of  chin  and  upper  throat  not  edged  with  dusky  or 
blackish. 

/.     Under  tail  coverts  strongly  washed  with  rufous Xiphorhynchus    guttatus    gut- 

tatoides. 
f.   Under  tail  coverts  uniform  with  abdomen,  faintly,  or  not  at 

all  washed  with  rufous Xiphorhynchus  susurrans. 

SITTASOMUS  AMAZONUS  Lafresnaye. 
Sittasomus  amasonus  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  1850.  p.  509,  590;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  62. 
Sittasomus  sylviellus   amazonus   Hellmayr,   Novit.   Zool.   XVII:    1911: 

p.  323   (Caura,  Venezuela). 

Not  observed  by  the  writer,  but  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  it 
from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

GLYPHORHYNCHUS  CUNEATUS  CUNEATUS  (Lichtenstein). 
Dendrocolaptes  cuneatus  Licht.,  Abh.  Kon.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berl.  1820.  p. 

204,  PI.  2,  fig.  2. 
Glyphorhynchus  cuneatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  62. 

Common  at  the  falls  of  Maipures  and  beyond.  Specimens  were 
collected  at  Maipures,  Nericagua,  Munduapo  and  Capuano.  Ber- 
lepsch and  Hartert  record  specimens  from  Suapure,  La  Pricion  and 
Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 


266  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

GLYPHORHYNCHUS  CUNEATUS  CASTELNAUDI  Des  Murs. 
Glyphorhynchus  castelnaudi  Des  Murs,  Voy.  Casteln.  Ois.   1855  :  P-  47 

(Santa  Maria,  Peru). 

Chapman  (MS)  has  identified  four  examples  from  the  foot  of  Mt. 
Duida  (upper  Orinoco)  as  pertaining  to  this  race. 

XIPHORHYNCHUS  GUTTATus  SORORIA   ( Berlepsch  &  Hartert). 
Dendrornis  rostripallens  sororia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX. 

1902.  63  (Type,  Maipures,  Orinoco  River). 
D[endrornis]    guttata  sororia  Hellmayr,   Novit.   Zool.   XIV:    1907:   59 

(Orinoco  and  Caura  rivers). 

This  new  form  of  Woodhewer  was  first  observed  at  Quiribana 
de  Caicara,  where  two  specimens  were  taken  in  April,  1898 ;  but  it 
was  rarely  seen  until  beyond  the  falls  of  Atures,  beyond  which  point 
it  was  abundant.  In  habits  it  did  not  seem  to  differ  from  its  con- 
geners, being  strictly  a  bird  of  the  thick  forest.  Specimens  were 
collected  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  Bichaco,  Perico,  Maipures  and 
Munduapo,  also  one  is  included  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  Suapure 
on  the  Caura  River. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  two  specimens  taken  by 
Klages  on  the  Caura  River;  a  male  at  Maripa,  January  24th  and  a 
female  at  La  Union,  September  26th. 

XIPHORHYNCHUS  GUTTATUS  GUTTATOIDES  (Lafresnaye). 
Nasica  guttatoides  Lafresnaye  Rev.  et  Mag.  Zool.  1850:  387  (Lorette, 

Peru). 
Dendrornis  rostripallens  sororia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX: 

1902:  63  (in  part — Nericagua,  Orinoco). 
Dendrornis  guttata  guttatoides  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV:   1907:  59 

(Nericagua;  crit). 

The  American  Museum  collection  contains  specimens  from  the  foot 
of  Mt.  Duida. 

XIPHORHYNCHUS  SUSURRANS  SUSURRANS  (Jard.). 

Dendrocolaptes  susurrans  Jardine,  Ann.  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.  XIX.  1847.  p. 
81. 

Dendrornis  susurrans  jardinei  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.   1906.  p.  30 
(Orinoco  delta,  Guanoco). 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  267 

Beebe  collected  two  specimens  at  Guanoco,  in  the  delta  region, 
that  are  inseparable  from  the  Brooklyn  Museum  series  of  X.  susurrans 
susurrans  from  Carenage,  Trinidad.  The  characters  cited  by  Hell- 
mayr  in  his  Birds  of  Trinidad  as  distinguishing  the  birds  of  the 
Orinoco  delta  from  those  of  Trinidad,  do  not  seem  to  be  constant, 
one  of  Beebe's  specimens  having  the  throat  as  whitish  (not  buff)  as 
any  example  from  Trinidad.  Beebe's  other  specimen  showing  con- 
siderable buff  on  throat  and  remaining  light  spots  on  under  parts  is 
readily  matched  by  Trinidad  specimens. 

This  species  was  not  observed  by  the  writer. 

XlPHORHYNCHUS    LINEATOCAPILLUS    (Bed.    &   Lever.). 

Dendrornis  lineatocapilla  Beriepsch  and  Leverkuhn,  Ornis,  1890:  p.  24 
*    (Type  ex  Angostura,  Orinoco). 

I  have  not  seen  examples  of  this  species. 

XlPHORHYNCHUS    PARDALOTUS    (Vieillot). 

Dendrocopits  pardalotus  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXVI.  1818.  p.  117. 
Dendrornis  pardalotus  Beriepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  64. 

Rare,  seen  only  on  the  upper  river  where  three  specimens  were 
taken  during  March  and  April  at  Nericagua. 

Beriepsch  and  Hartert  report  specimens  collected  at  Suapure  and 
at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

The  American  Museum  collection  contains  specimens  from  La 
Union  and  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River  that  agree  with  Brit.  Guiana 
specimens.  There  are  also  examples  from  the  foot  of  Duida  (Miller  Col.). 

XlPHORHYNCHUS  OBSOLETUS  NOTATUS   (Eyton). 

Picolaptes  notatus  Eyton,  Contr.  Orn.   1852.  p.  26   (Rio  Negro,  apud. 

Berl.  &  Hart.). 
Dendrornis  obsoleta  notata  Beriepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  64. 

Rare  on  the  lower  Orinoco  from  Altagracia  and  Caicara  up  as 
far  as  the  first  falls,  but  common  from  the  vicinity  of  Maipures 
onward.  On  the  1907  expedition,  observed  and  collected  on  the  San 
Feliz  River  near  its  junction  with  the  Cuchivero  River,  and  included 
in  the  Beriepsch  and  Hartert  paper  from  Suapure  and  La  Pricion  on 
the  Caura  River. 

In  the  American  Museum  are  Caura  River  specimens  collected 
by  Klages  at  Suapure  and  the  mouth  of  the  Malo  River. 


268  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  above  dusky  fawn  color,  below  ecru  drab; 
feet  olive  greenish  or  greenish  gray. 

DENDROPLEX  PICUS  PICUS  (Gmelin). 
Oriolus  picus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  384. 
Dendroplex  picus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  65. 

Three  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  two  females  April  I3th,  male. 
April  I4th. 

On  my  previous  expedition  not  observed  until  I  had  reached 
Perico  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  falls  of  Atures. 

DENDROPLEX  PICIROSTRIS   (Lafresnaye). 
Dendrocolaptes  picirostris  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  1847.  p.  76. 
Dendroplex  picirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  65. 

Not  uncommon  in  the  heavily  timbered  areas  bordering  the  river. 
Observed  and  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia  and  Caicara. 
Specimens  display  a  considerable  variation  in  color,  especially  on 
the  under  parts,  where  the  throat  in  a  female,  taken  April  2Qth,  is 
"a  deep  buff;  in  the  male,  taken  May  8th  (both  collected  at  Caicara), 
it  is  a  pale  cream  color.  All  display  a  reddish  brown  wash  on  the 
belly,  very  prominent  in  the  male  taken  June  3rd  and  faintly  indi- 
cated in  the  one  taken  May  8th. 

A  set  of  three  fresh  eggs,  together  with  the  male  parent  bird, 
was  taken  May  8th.  The  eggs  are  white,  without  gloss  and  between 
an  elliptical  oval  and  an  oval  in  form  and  measure  27.2  x  20.2 ;  25.5  x 
19.6  and  26.5  x  20.2  mm.  The  nest  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  hollow 
centre  of  an  old  stump,  about  40  cm.  down.  No  nesting  material  had 
been  carried  in. 

A  second  set  of  two  eggs  was  taken  with  the  parent  bird  (female) 
May  nth.  One  of  these  eggs  is  elliptfcal  ovate  and  the  other  ovate 
in  form.  They  measure  28.3  x  19.6  and  27.5  x  20.5  mm.  This  nest 
was  at  the  bottom  of  a  natural  hollow  in  a  tree  trunk  about  1.25 
metres  from  the  ground.  Bits  of  rather  thick  bark  from  15  to  50 
mm.  across  had  been  carried  in  to  fill  up  the  lower  part  of  the  cavity 
which  communicated  with  a  hollow  at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  The  eggs 
were  about  40  cm.  down  from  the  opening  and  I  obtained  them  by 
digging  out  the  bottom  of  the  nest !  June  3rd  I  noted  that  the  lower 
part  of  the  hole  in  this  tree  had  again  been  filled  with  bits  of  bark. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  269 

On  going  a  little  nearer,  a  Woodhewer  of  this  species,  a  male,  flew 
from  the  opening  and  examination  revealed  three  fresh  eggs  at  the 
bottom  of  the  cavity.  These  eggs  are  slightly  smaller  than  the  two 
preceding  sets,  short  ovate  in  form,  and  measure  24.4  x  19;  23.6  x  19 
and  23  x  19  mm. 

XIPHOCOLAPTES  ORENOCENSIS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Xiphocolaptes  orenocensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902. 

P-  65-1 

Four  specimens  of  this  interesting  new  species  were  taken,  three 
at  Munduapo  and  one  at  Nericagua.     No  others  were  seen. 

PICOLAPTES  ALBOLINEATUS  (Lafresnaye). 
Dendrocolaptes  albolineatus  Lafr.,  Rev.  Zool.  1846.  p.  208. 
Picolaptes  albolineatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  66. 

This  species  is  not  common  but  found  all  along  the  lower  and 
middle  stretches  of  the  river  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Apure  River. 

Eye  seal  brown;  maxilla  blackish  at  base,  ecru  drab  at  tip,  mandible 
pale  grey ;  feet  dusky  pea  green. 

A  female  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  April  I5th  had  a  nearly  devel- 
oped egg  in  the  oviduct. 

NASICA  LONGIROSTRIS  (Vieillot). 

Dendrocopus  longirostris  Vieill,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXVI.  1818.  p.  117. 
Nasica  longirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  66. 

Not  uncommon  on  the  upper  river  at  the  first  falls  and  beyond. 

CAMPYLORHAMPHUS  TROCHILIROSTRIS  (Lichtenstein). 
Dendrocolaptes  trochilirostris  Licht.,  Abh.  Kon.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berl.  1820. 
p.  207.  PI.  3. 

iFor  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  not  have  access  to  the  Novitates  Zoologicae,  I  reproduce  the 
original  description  and  observations  on  this  species. 

"Xlphoeolantes  orenocensis  sp.  nov. 

"X.  corpore  supra  obscure  olivaceo  rufo-brunneo.  pileo  nigrescente,  pilei  nuchaeque  plun 
angustis  fulvo-albis  scapalibus  instructis;  gula  rufescenti  alba,  corpore  mfenore  relique  capitisque  laten 
fulvescenti  rufo-brunneis,  colli  inferioris  pectoris  ventrisque   superioris  capitisque  laterum  plumis  stria 
mediana  fulyo-alba  signatis,  abdominis  medii  plumis  maculis  pogonio  utroque  tnbus  mgns  (fasciis  mstar) 
praeditis,  alls  caudaque  obscure  castaneis,  rostro  albo-corneo. 

"Habitat:  in  vie.  locorum  Nericagua  et  Munduapo  dictorum,  Orinoco.  .  . 

"Typus:   in  Mus.  Tring  cf  Nericagua.  no.  12484  (Cherrie  coll.)    * 

species  has  a  very  long  and  powerful  bill,  agreeing  in  form  nearly  with  that  of  X.  major,  while  in  its  color 
tion  it  resembles  most  A',  promeropirhynchus.  differing,  however,  in  its  darker  back,  and  the  more  rufous 
brown,  less  olivaceous  tint  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  body,  as  well  as  in  the  much  darker  chestnut  of  its  tail 
and  wings. 

"  (A',  emigrant  of  Central  America  is  smaller,  and  is  easily  distinguished   by  the  much  lighter  tail . 
while  the  color  of  the  upper  surface  is  not  so  very  different). " 


270  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Xiphorhynchus  trochilirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  67. 

Rare.    Observed  only  in  the  belt  of  heavy  forest  bordering  the  river. 

Specimens  taken  at  Altagracia,  Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara. 
Eye  dark  sepia  brown;  bill  hazel  brown;  feet  olive  green. 

DENDROCINCLA  MERULA   (Lichtenstein). 
Dendrocolaptes  merula  Licht.,  Abh.  Kon.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berl.  1820.  p.  208. 

Dendrocincla  merula  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  67;  Oberholser,  Proc.  Ac. 

Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  LVI;  1904;  p.  456  (Suapure). 

Rare,  observed  and  collected  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua  on  the 
upper  river.  In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  taken 
at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River  by  Klages.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
also  record  it  from  Suapure  and  as  well  as  from  Nicare  on  the  Caura 
River. 

DENDROCINCLA  MERULOIDES  PHAEOCHROA  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Dendrocinda    [sic]   phaeochroa   Berlepsch  &   Hartert,   Novit.   Zool.   IX. 

1902.  p.  67  (Type,   $   Munduapo,  Orinoco  River). 
Dendrocincla   olivacea  phaeochroa   Oberholser,    Proc.   Acad.    Nat.    Sci. 

Phila.    LVI.    1904.    p.    458     (Suapure,    La    Union,   Caura   River, 

Venezuela). 
D[endrocincla]    meruloides  phaochroa  Hellm.  P.  Z.   S.   Pt.  IV:   1911: 

p.  1156. 

This  species  is  closely  related  to  D.  merula  but  while  the  other  is 
rare  this  is  the  common  Dendrocincla  of  the  region.  Observed  only  on 
the  upper  river. 

As  there  are  probably  many  who  do  not  have  access  to  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert's  paper,  I  have  thought  it  might  be  worth  while  to  re- 
produce their  original  description  and  remarks  on  this  species  which 
are  given  below1. 

"Dendrocinda  phaeochroa  8p.  DOT. 

J"  D.D.  meruloides  (Lafr.)  dictae  affinis,  sed  paulo  major  et  corpore  supra  subtusque  obscure  olivaceo- 
brunneo,  minus  rufuscente  tincto,  necnon  gula  sordide  albescente  (nee  gula  collo  concolore)  distinguenda. 

"cfc?  al.  108,  109;  caud.  94;  culm.  29;  tars.  24Xmm. 

"  9?al.  106,  107,  io8:caud.  86,  86K,87;culm.  28K ;  tars  24K  mm. 

"Typus:   o",  Munduapo  10.  ii.,  '99  (no.  11895  Cherrie  coll.) 

"  Hab.     Ad  flumina  Orinoco  et  Caura  dicta. 

"This  new  species  differs  from  D.  meruloides  from  Venezuela  (Cumana,  San  Esteban,  etc.),  in  its  less 
reddish,  darker  and  more  olivaceous  brown  color,  its  distinctly  whitish  upper  throat  and  slightly  larger 
dimensions.  It  differs  from  D.  merula,  which  occurs  in  the  same  localities,  by  its  larger  bill  with  a  brownish, 
less  blackish  upper  maxilla,  more  olivaceous,  less  rufous  upper  wing-coverts,  lighter  color  above  and  below, 
less  contrasting,  less  chestnut-ruious  under  tail-coverts,  and  paler  under  wing-coverts  and  lining  of  the 
quills. 

"  It  is  most  interesting  to  find  D.  merula  and  D.  phaeochroa  in  the  same  localities.  Hartert  hesitated 
for  some  time  to  recognize  them  as  two  species,  but  he  is  now,  together  with  Berlepsch.  fully  convinced  of 
the  correctness  of  their  differentiation." 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2Jl 

DENDROCOLAPTES  CERTHIA  (Boddaert). 
Picus  certhia  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  38. 
Dendrocolaptes  certhia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  68. 

Common  on  the  upper  river.  Observed  from  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Meta  River  up  as  far  as  specimens  were  collected  at  Malaben, 
Xericagua  and  Munduapo. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  specimens  collected  at  Suapure, 
Nicare  and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

FORMICARIIDAE— ANT-THRUSHES. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper  listed  forty-two  species  and  sub- 
species as  representatives  of  sixteen  genera.  Of  that  number,  the 
writer  collected  twenty-eight  species  and  subspecies  pertaining  to  four- 
teen genera,  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

Fifty-six  species  and  subspecies  are  included  in  the  present  list,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  a  good  many  more  will  be  added  to  the  list  as 
soon  as  careful  collecting  will  have  been  done  throughout  the  entire  re- 
gion. 

As  was  to  have  been  expected,  since  the  Ant-thrushes  are 
chiefly  birds  of  the  thick  forest,  members  of  this  family  were  not  found 
abundantly  either  as  species  or  as  individuals,  until  after  we  had  pene- 
trated to  the  heavily  forested  regions  of  the  upper  Orinoco. 

In  aJl  my  experience  as  a  collector,  I  have  learned  but  little  regard- 
ing the  nesting  habits  of  birds  of  this  group  and  regret  to  be  able  to  add 
so  little  at  the  present  time. 

KEY  TO  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  FORMICARIIDAE. 

a.     "Second  phalanx  of  middle  toe  entirely  free  from  outer  toe;  acrotarsium 
more  or  less  distinctly  scutellate  (at  least  on  inner  side). " J 

b.     Posterior  edge  of  planta  tarsi  rounded  (not  booted) Rhopoterpetorquata  torguata. 

b'.    Posterior  side  of  planta  tarsi  with  a  sharp  edge. 

c.     "Nostrils  oval  or  rounded  and  without  operculum  (or  if  present 

not  well  developed)  or  other  adjacent  soft  membrane. "  J 
d.     Conspicuously  barred  above  and  below. 

e.     Crown  and  occiput  uniform  black  or  hazel  brown  (no  white 

bases  to  crown  or  occiput  feathers) Cymbtlatmus  lineatus  Itneatus. 

e'.    Crown  and  occiput  black,  feathers  with  white  bases tfThamnophtlus  doltatus. 

d'.    Not  conspicuously  barred  either  above  or  below. 

e.     Wing  coverts  without  white  tips  or  other  markings  (males  of 
T.    murinus   have  nearly  obsolete  small   pale  tips  to  wing 
covertsl,  and  usually  uniform  with  outer  edges  of  quills. 
/.     Wing  more  than  65  mm. 

g.     Under  parts  white *  Taraba  major  albicrtssa. 


'From  Ridgway's  "  Key  to  the  Genera  of  Formicariidae"  Birds  of  N.  and  M.  Amer.  V.:  1911 :  p.  10. 

'Ridgway  1.  c. 

(Cymbilaimus,  Pygiptila.Hypolophus.  Thamnophilus,  Sclateria."  Erionolus,  Rhopochares,  Dysilhamnus.) 
.  '  °Mr.  Ridgway  in  his  " key  "  to  the  Formicariidae  placed  Sdaleria  tentatively  in  the  section  having  the 
second  phalanx  of  the  middle  toe  partly  united  to  the  outer  toe  and  the  acrotarsiura  fused,  but  I  find  in  the 
two  forms  examined  (S.  argentala  and  S.  schistacea  saturate)  that  the  second  phalanx  of  the  middle  to«  is 
entirely  free  from  the  outer  toe  and  the  divisions  of  the  acrotarsium  are  not  obsolete. 


272  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE)  BULLETIN   2.  6. 


g'.    Under  parts  not  white. 

h.     General  color  of  under  parts  slate  gray . 


h'.    General  color  of  under  parts  ochraceous  buff  (it  may  be 

clear  or  dusky). 
».     Upper  parts  bright  hazel  brown,  or  olive  brown. 

j.     Hazel  brown  above 

j'.    Olive  brown  above 

»'.   Upper  parts  slate  color 

/'.    Wing  not  more  than  65  mm. 

g.     General  color  above  gray  (slate  gray  or  olive  gray) . 

h.     Middleof  belly  pale  yellowish 

h'.    Middle  of  belly  pale  grayish  (whitish) 

g'.    General  color  above  olive  or  olive  brown  and  crown  and 

occiput  tawny  olive. 
h.     Larger,  tail  £  as  long  as  wing  or  more;  under  parts 

pale  buffy  brownish 

h'.   Smaller,  tail  less  than  J  as  long  as  wing;  under  parts 

pale  grayish ;  buffy  yellowish  on  crissum 

'.    Wing  coverts  with  distinct  white  or  buffy  tips,  or  other  pale 
wing  markings. 

/.     General  color  below  white  (immaculate) ;  above  black 

/'.    General  color  below  not  immaculate  white. 

g.     Head  all  round  and  throat  black 

g'.    Sides  of  head  and  throat  not  black. 

h.     General  color  of  under  parts  a  uniform  gray  (in  shade 

varying  from  pale  neutral  gray  to  slate  gray) . 
j.     Tertials  and  inner  secondaries  edged  or  tipped,  or 

both,  with  white  or  pale  gray. 
j.     Crown  and  occiput  black. 

k.     Primary  coverts  narrowly  tipped  with  white .... 

k'.    Primary  coverts  not  tipped  with  white 

j'.    Crown  and  occiput  slate  gray  or  gray  mixed  with 
hazel  brown  (  cf  im) 

*'.   Tertials  and  inner  secondaries  not  tipped  and  edged 

(on  outer  webs)  with  white  or  pale  grayish. 
j.     Nearly  uniform  slate  grayish  above,  no  black  on 
crown,  wing-coverts  with  very  small  whitish  apical 

spots 

j'.    Crown  and  nape  black  (and  more  or  less  black  on 

the  interscapulars) 

h'.    General  color  of  under  parts  not  uniform  grayish, 
j.     Chin,  throat,  and  upper  breast  bright  tawny  ochrace- 


tfDysithamnus  ardesiacus  ar- 
desiacus. 


9  Thamnophilus  doliatus. 

9  Dysilhamnus  ardesiacus  sat- 

urninus. 
tfPygiptila  stellar  is. 


tfDysithamnus  affinis  andrei. 
^Thamnophilus  murinus. 


9  Thamnophilus  murinus. 
9  Dysithamnus  affinis  andrei. 

tfTaraba  major  albicrissa. 

tfHvpolophus  canadensis  trin- 
iiatis. 


Erionotus  naevius  naevius. 
Erionotus  insignis. 1 


d"  and  cf  im.  Erionotus  cine- 
reiceps. 


^Thamnophilus  murinus. 
stellaris. 


i'.    Under  parts  in  general  a  uniform  pale  buff  or  tawny 
ochraceous;  or  striated  with  white  on  a  gray  ground, 
or  buffy  brownish  on  a  grayish  white  ground. 
j.     Tail  cinnamon  brown. 

k.  White  tip  to  tail-feathers  confined  to  inner  web 
except  on  two  outermost  rectrices  (outer  face 
of  posterior  half  of  tarsus  with  more  or  less  oval 
scutes  not  closely  joined  to  one  another) 

k'.  White  tips  to  rectrices  larger  and  not  confined  to 
inner  webs  of  quills  (outer  face  of  posterior  half 
of  tarsus  with  nearly  quadrangular  scutes  unit- 
ing with  those  from  the  opposite  side  in  a  sharp 

ridge) 

f.  Tail  black  or  blackish  brown. 

k.  With  an  occipital  crest;  crown  and  occiput 
chestnut,  sharply  different  in  color  from  back. . . 

k'.    No  occipital  crest,  and  color  of  crown  and  occiput 

not  different  from  back. 
I.     Slate  gray  (deep  neutral  gray)  or  slate  black 

above. 
m.     Smaller,  wing  less  than   75    mm.;  upper 

parts  deep  neutral  gray 

m'.    Larger,  wing  more  than   75   mm.;  upper 
parts  slate  black 

I'.    General  color  above  rufescent  brown  or  mum- 
my brown. 


9  Thamnophilus  amazonicus. 


9  or    cf    (im)   Erionotus  in- 
signis. 


9  Erionotus  naevius  naevius. 


9  Hypolophus  canadensis  trin- 
itatis. 


tfSdateria  argentata. 
tfSdateria  schistacea  cauren- 


U  do  not  know  of  any  records  in  the  immediate  Orinoco  valley,  but  there  is  a  good  series  from  Cristobal 
Colon,  Pana  Peninsula  (American  Museum  Collection), and  as  the  type  comes  from  British  Guiana  the 
species  is  probably  found  in  intermediate  localities. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 


273 


m.  Larger,  wing  more  than  75  mm.;  top  of 
head  slate  gray  in  sharp  contrast  with  color 
of  back 

m'.   Smaller,  wing  less  than  75  mm.  and  top  of 

head  uniform  with  back 

.  "Nostrils  more  or  less  narrow  and  longitudinal,  more  or  less  dis- 
tinctly operculate,  or  if  broadly  oval  or  roundish  the  remainder  of 
nasal  fossae  occupied  by  membranous  integument."1  (Myrmother- 
ula,  Myrmopagis,  Microrhopias,  Herpsilochmus,  Ramphocaerus, 
Cercomacra,  Thamnomanes  Myrmoborus,  Hypocnemis,  Hapalocer- 
cus,  Myrmeciza,  Myrmoderas,  Formicarius). 
d.  Bill  long  and  slender,  as  long  as  head 

d'.    Bill  not  unusually  long  and  slender,  not  as  long  as  head. 

e.     Outstretched  feet  reaching  little  if  any  beyond  the  tips  of  the 

under  tail  coverts 

e'.    Outstretched  feet  reaching  much  beyond  the  end  of  the  under 

tail  coverts. 
/.     A  restricted,  sharply  denned,  buff  colored  area  at  the  base 

of  the  inner  webs  of  the  wing-quills, 
g.     Entire  top  of  head,  forehead,  crown  and  occiput  rufous 

(the  crown  feathers  tipped  only  with  rufous) 

g'.   Wide  frontal  band  black,  crown  and  occiput  rufous 

/'.    No  restricted,  sharply  defined  buff  colored  area  at  base  of 

inner  webs  of  wing-quills. 

g.     Distance  from  tips  of  under  tail-coverts  to  tip  of  tail  not 
greater  (usually  less)  than  length  of  bill,  and  lower  back 
not  marked  with  rounded  white  or  buff  y  spots. 
h.     Sides  of  face,  lores  and  auriculars  black. 

»'.  With  broad  frontal  and  superciliary  stripe,  white  in 
males,  rufous  in  females  (no  concealed  white  dorsal 
spot) 

»'.  No  frontal  band  and  superciliaries  narrow  (a  con- 
cealed white  dorsal  spot) 

h'.   Sides  of  face  not  black. 

i.     Tertials  and  secondaries  with  cinnamon  buff  tips  .... 
»'.    No  cinnamon  buff  tips  to  tertials  or  inner  secondaries. 
j.     General  color  of  under  parts  gray  and  throat  prac- 
tically uniform  with  breast. 
k.     Slate  gray  below 


k'.    Light  neutral  gray  below 


j'.    General  color  of  under  parts  (gray)  in  sharp  con- 
trast with  black  or  white  throat;  or  with  head  and 
back  conspicuously  striated. 
k.     Breast  gray. 

I.     A  white  shoulder  patch. 

m.     Tail-feathers  narrowly  tipped  with  white.  . 

m'.    Tail  not  white  tipped 

I'.     No  white  shoulder  patch 

k'.    Breast  not  gray;  and  head  and  back  striated. 
/.     General  color  of  under  parts  yellow  (pale  or 
lemon) ;  and  bill  much  more  than  one-half  as 

long  as  tail 

/'.  General  color  of  under  parts  white  or  buffy, 
and  bill  little  if  any  more  than  one-half  the 
length  of  the  tail. 

m.     Both  maxilla  and  mandible  black  (females 
as  well  as  males  striated  with  black  on 

underparts) 

m'.    Mandible  pale,  maxilla  black,  females  not 
strongly  striated  with  black  below 

g'.    Distance  from  tips  of  under  tail-coverts  to  tip  of  tail 
greater  than  length  of  bill;  or  lower  back  marked  with 
rounded  white  or  buffy  spots. 
h.     Back  more  or  less  striated. 

».     Gray  or  grayish  white  below •  •  • 

»'.    Throat  and  breast  yellow  or  pale  yellow. 
j.     Smaller,  breast  not  (or  less)  distinctly  squamate . . . 
/.    Larger,  breast  more  distinctly  squamate 


9  Sclateria  schislacea  cauren- 
sis. 


9  Sclateria  argentata. 


Ramphocaenus  melanurus  Irin- 
itatis. 


Thamnomanes  glaucus. 


Formicarius  ruficeps. 
Formicarius  colma  colma. 


Myrmoborus  leucophrys  leuco- 
phrys. 


Myrmoborus    myotherina    my- 
otherina. 


Myrmotherula  guttata. 


tf  Myrmotherula       cinereiven- 

tris  cinereiventris. 
& Myrmotherula  cinereiventris 
pallida. 


tf  Myrmotherula  longipennis. 
o"  Myrmopagis  schisticolor . 
Myrmoborus  melanopogon. 


Myrmotherula  pygmaea. 


Myrmotherula  cherriei. 


Myrmotherula      surinamensis 
surinamensis. 


Herpsilochmus   sticturus    Stic- 
turus. 

Hypocnemis  flavtscens  humilis. 
Hypocnemis    flavescens    ftatt- 
scens. 


'Ridgwayl.  c.  p.  12. 


274  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

h'.    Back  not  striated  (no  pale  markings). 

».  Greater  and  middle  wing-coverts  more  or  less  con- 
spicuously tipped,  edged,  or  spotted  with  white,  buff, 
or  black. 

j.     None  of  the  rectrices  tipped  or  marked  with  white. 
k.     Lateral  toes  with  claws  not  reaching  to  base  of 

claw  of  middle  toe. 
/.     Wing   coverts   with   small   white   or  whitish 

apical  spots 

I'.    Wing  coverts  with  subapical  black  spots 


k'.    Lateral  toes  with  claws  reaching  to  or  beyond 

the  base  of  the  claw  of  the  middle  toe. 
I.     Feathers  of  chin  and  throat  black,  at  least 
basally 

/'.    Feathers    of    chin    and    throat    not    black, 

even  at  base. 
m.     Middle  of  back  dusky  gray,  not  greatly 

different  from  remaining  upper  parts 

m'.    Middle  of  back  rufous,  quite  different  from 

remaining  upper  parts. 

n.     Throat  ochraceous  buff,  remaining  lower 
parts  tawny  olive 

n'.    Throat  pale  (whitish),  remaining  lower 

parts  gray  or  brownish  gray 

j'.  Some  or  all  of  the  rectrices  tipped  or  edged  with 
white  (in  C.  iyrannina  the  white  tips  to  tail-feathers 
are  almost  obsolete) . 

k.     General  color  of  under-parts  yellow  or  yellowish. 
k'.    General  color  of  under-parts  black,  gray  or  pale 

buffy. 
/.     A  concealed  white  dorsal  spot. 

m.     General  color,  above  and  below,  black 

m'.    General  color,  above  and  below,  gray. 

n.     Shoulder  patch  white 

n'.    Shoulder    patch    slate    gray  like  wing- 
coverts  (pale  markings  on  wing-coverts 

almost  obsolete) 

I'.     No  concealed  white  dorsal  spot. 

m.     Back  black  or  slate  black 

m'.    Back  smoke  gray  or  cinnamon  brown. 

n.     Upper-parts  cinnamon  brown.  / 

n'.    Upper-parts  smoke  gray 

i.  Greater  and  middle  wing-coverts  unmarked  (some 
males  of  Cercomacra  cinerascens  have  obsolete  pale 
markings  on  coverts). 

j.     General  color  above  and  below  slate  gray 

f.    General  color  above  and  below  not  gray. 

k.     Dorsal  concealed  spot  white 

k'.    No  concealed  dorsal  spot. 

1.     With  hazel  crown  patch 

I'.    No  crown  patch. 

m.     Above  grayish  olive 

m'.    Above  raw  umber 

"Second  phalanx  of  middle  toe  partly  united  to  outer  toe;  acrotarsium 
fused  (booted)  " l     (Pithys,  Hylophylax,  Anoplops). 
>.     Back  marked  either  with  rounded  buff  or  white  spots  or  narrow  white, 

or  buffy,  apical  bands  to  the  feathers. 
c.     Markings  on  back  rounded — white  or  buffy. 

d.     Back  markings  white 

t  d'.    Back  markings  cinnamon  buff 

c'.    Back  markings  in  the  shape  of  narrow  apical,  white  or  cinnamon 

buff,  bands  to  the  feathers. 
d.     Apical  margins  to  back  feathers  white. 

e.     Entire  under  parts  including  throat  dark  gray 


Myrmoderas    atrolhorax. 
'Myrmeciza     boucardi     grisei- 
pectus. 


<fad  Myrmopagis  haematon 
ta  haematonola. 


tfMyrmeciza  schisiacea. 

9  Myrmopagis       haemalonola 
haematonota. 

Terenura  spodioptila. 
Herpsilochmusf rater. 
tfCercom 


era  nigricans. 


Myrmotherula  melaena. 


Microrhopias  orenocensis. 
Microrhopias  cano-fumosus. 


Cercomacra  cinerascens. 
9  Cercomacra  tyrannina. 
Hapalocercus  meloryphus. 

9  Myrmopagis  axillaris. 
[  9  Myrmopagis  melaena. 
{  9  Myrmopagis  schisticolor  in- 
(     terior. 


Hylophylax  punctulata. 
Hylophylax  naevia  naevia. 


e  .   Under  parts  ochraceous  buff  brightening  to  rufous  on  the 
throat  and  darkening  to  buffy  brown  on  the  flanks  ........... 

'.    Apical  margins  of  back  feathers  cinnamon  buff,  (forehead,  sides 
of  head  and  chin  ferruginous,  remaining  under  parts  gray)  .  ..... 


f  ^Hylophylax  poecilinota  poe- 
I      cilinota. 

1  9  Hylophylax  poecilinota  lepi- 
[     donola. 


poecilinota  lepi- 


9  Hylophylax  poecilinola  peo- 


Hyloph 
ilinota. 


'Ridgway,  Birds  N.  &  M.  America,  V:  1911:  p.  16. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  275 

b'.    Back  without  pale  markings. 

c.  Under  parts  bright  chestnut  (ad.  cF.chin.  upper  throat,  lores,  fore- 
head and  frontal  crest  white;  immature  with  whole  head  and  throat 
black  with  faint  brownish  wash) Pilkys  albifrons. 

c'.  Middle  of  breast  ochraceous  buff,  sides  and  flanks  Dresden  brown 

(chin,  upper  throat,  and  malar  regionrufous) AnoplofsrufigtUapalidvs. 

CYMBILAIMUS  LINEATUS  LINEATUS   (Leach). 
Lanius  lineatus  Leach,  Zool.  Misc.  I.  1815.  p.  20.  PI.  6. 
Cymbilanius  lineatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  68   (La  Pricion,  Nicare, 

Suapure,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

Not  observed  by  the  writer  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  collected  at 
various  points  on  the  Caura  River  by  Klages  and  by  Andre. 

The  American  Museum  collection  contains   specimens   from    Sua- 
pure and  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River.      Collected  by  Klages. 

TARABA  MAJOR  ALBICRISSA  (Ridgway). 

Thamnophilus  albicrissus  Ridgw.,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.  XIV.  1891.  p.  481. 
Thamnophilus  major  albicrissus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  68. 

Not  common,  but  observed  all  along  the  river  from  Las  Barran- 
cas in  the  delta  region,  below  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  the  upper  river. 

Eye  madder-brown;  bill  blackish,  slate  at  base  of  mandible;  feet 
plumbeous. 

THAMNOPHILUS  LUNULATUS   (Lesson). 
Lanius  lunulatus  Less.,  Traite  d'Orn.  p.  375.  PI.  45.  fig.  2. 
Thamnophilus  lunulatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  68. 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  Suapure  on  the  Caura 
River. 

THAMNOPHILUS  POLIONOTUS  Pelzeln. 

Thamnophilus  polionotus  Pelz.,  Zur.  Orn.  Bras.  II.  1868.  p.  147. 
Thamnophilus  sp.  inc.  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  69  (La  Pricion  and  Nicare, 

Caura  River,  Venez.). 
Thamnophilus  polionotus  Hellmayr.  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  pp.  338-339 

(La  Pricion  and  Nicare,  Caura  River,  Venez.). 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  but  recorded  from  its  tributary,  the 
Caura,  from  La  Pricion  and  from  Nicare. 

Mr.  Hellmayr    (/.  c.)   gives  a  good  account  of  this  species 'com- 
pared with  allied  forms. 


2/6  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

THAMNOPHILUS  CINEREONIGER  Pelzeln. 
Thamnophilus  cinereoniger  Pelz.,   Zur.   Orn.   Bras.    1870.   pp.   76,    143 ; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  69. 

First  observed  at  Altagracia  where  it  was  rare,  and  not  noted  as 
common  until  I  had  gone  beyond  the  second  falls  at  Maipures. 

THAMNOPHILUS  MURINUS  Sclater  &  Salvin. 
Thamnophilus  murinus  Scl.  &  Salv.,  P.  Z.  S.    1867.  P-  75^;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  69. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper  but  recorded  from  its  tribu- 
tary the  Caura  River  from  Suapure,  La  Pricion  and  La  Union. 

ERIONOTUS  NAEVIUS  NAEVIUS  (Gmelin). 
Lanius  naevius  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  308. 
Thamnophilus  naevius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  69. 

Found  along  the  middle  river  from  Altagracia  as  far  as  I  extended 
my  collecting  on  the  upper  river.  Common  above  the  falls.  Also  re- 
corded by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  La  Pricion,  La  Union  and  Sua- 
pure on  the  Caura  River. 

ERIONOTUS  CINEREICEPS    (Pelzeln). 

Thamnophilus  cinereiceps  Pelz.,  Zur.  Orn.  Bras.  1870.  pp.  77,  145,;  Ber- 
lepsch &  Hartert,  p.  70. 
Not  seen  below  the  neighborhood  of  the  falls  of  Atures.     Common 

from  that  point  beyond. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  from  Boca  de 

Sina,  Rio  Cunucunuma,  upper  Orinoco. 

HYPOLOPHUS  CANADENSIS  TRINITATIS  (Ridgway). 
Thamnophilus  trinitatis  Ridgw.,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.  XIV.  1891.  p.  481. 
Thamnophilus  canadensis  trinitatis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  70  (in  part). 
This  form  of  H.  canadensis  seems  to  be  found  throughout  the  delta 
region  of  the  Orinoco,  and  all  specimens  that  I  have  seen  from  points 
on  the  Caura  River  (there  is  a  fair  series  in  the  American  Museum,  col- 
lected by  Klages  at  Maripa  and  Mato  River),  and  four  specimens  col- 
lected by  the  writer  on  the  San  Feliz  River  near  its  entrance  into  the 
Cuchivero  River,  are  typical  trinitatis. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  2/7 

While  the  characters  separating  H ' .  c.  canadcnsis  and  H.  c.  trinitatis 
are  not  great,  nevertheless  they  seem  to  me  sufficiently  constant  for  one 
to  be  justified  in  recognizing  trinitatis  as  a  subspecific  form.  In  a  series 
of  sixteen  females  from  Trinidad,  the  Caura  River,  middle  and  lower 
Orinoco  regions,  not  one  has  the  crown  as  light  as  in  two  specimens 
from  Cayenne.  In  the  Cayenne  birds  the  crown  is  almost  clear  russet, 
while  in  the  others  the  average  is  nearer  a  chestnut.  The  under  parts  of 
specimens  (females)  from  Trinidad,  Caura  River  and  Orinoco  delta, 
average  decidedly  more  buffy,  or  better  perhaps  buffy  clay  coior,  the 
wash  of  the  color  extending  over  the  entire  under  parts  including  the 
centre  of  the  abdomen. 

Birds  from  the  middle  Orinoco,  from  Ciudad  Bolivar,  and  beyond, 
are  intermediate  in  general  color  between  the  Cayenne  birds  and  those 
from  Trinidad,  the-  Orinoco  delta,  and  Caura  River  points,  being  as  a 
series,  at  once  distinguishable  by  their  paler  coloring  both  above  and 
below.  This  pale  coloring  is  perhaps  more  marked  in  the  females,  but  is 
very  evident  in  the  males  also  when  compared  as  a  series.  So  character- 
istic does  this  paler  form  seem  of  the  middle  Orinoco  region  that  I 
would  designate  it  as 

HYPOLOPHUS  CANADENSIS  INTERMEDIUS  subsp.  nov.1 
The  nesting  season  on  the  middle  Orinoco  is  evidently  a  long 
one,  as  I  have  found  young  birds  in  the  nest  in  June,  and  fresh  eggs  in 
September.  The  nest  is  a  thin  walled,  rather  loosely,  though  neatly 
woven  cup,  suspended  between  the  forks  of  a  horizontal  twig.  Nesting 
sites  are  similar  to  those  of  our  Red-eyed  Vireo.  Two  eggs  collected 
September  4,  1898,  at  Santa  Barbara  (near  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Carcunaparo,  or  sometimes  called  the  Sinaruco)  were  "short  ovate  in 
form,  glossy  white,  covered  with  frequent  red-brown  spots,  in  color 
and  measured  21  x  16  and  20.5  x  16  mm2." 

A  male  in  juvenal  plumage,  that  cannot  have  been  long  out  of 
the  nest,  taken  at  Caicara,  June  15,  1907,  closely  resembles  the  adult 
female  above  and  below,  but  there  are  no  mesial  blackish  streaks  on  the 
breast. 

Another  example,  a  male  in  transitional  plumage  from  the  juvenal 
stage  to  that  of  the  adult,  is  similar  below  to  the  adult  female,  and  above 
differs  from  the  adult  only  in  having  the  crown  parti-colored,  a  few 

*Type  in  collection  of  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum  No.  3674.  <?  ad  Caicara.  Orinoco  Rivor.  Vener., 
May  9,  1905  (No.  13669,  Cherrie  collection). 

'Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  70. 


278  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

of  the  chestnut  feathers  of  the  immature  being  scattered  among  the 
new  black  ones  of  the  adult  plumage. 

THAMNOPHILUS  DOLIATUS  DOLIATUS  (Linnaeus). 
Lanius  doliatus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12  I.  1766.  p.  138. 

A  male  and  female  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  i4th  and  April 
8th,  respectively,  are  referable  to  typical  doliatus.  Specimens  from 
Las  Barrancas  are  also  referable  to  the  typical  form  which  ordinarily 
is  distinguished  at  a  glance  from  the  common  Orinoco  form  by  the 
general  darker  color,  narrower  white  and  broader  black  bars  in  the 
male  and  deeper  rufous  in  the  female.  However,  there  are  occasional 
specimens  from  the  lower  Orinoco  and  delta  regions  that  are  somewhat 
intermediate  in  character  and  can  be  referred  to  one  or  the  other  only 
arbitrarily. 

THAMNOPHILUS  DOLIATUS  FRATERCULUS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Thamnophilus  doliatus  fraterculus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  70. 

Abundant,  both  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  at  Caicara. 

Eye  straw  yellow ;  bill  black  above,  plumbeous  below ;  feet  plumbeous. 

The  white  bars  on  the  under  parts  are  very  noticeably  wider  than 
in  examples  of  T.  doliatus  doliatus.  making  the  under  parts  generally 
much  lighter.  A  nest  containing  two  young  was  found  June  30.  It  was 
located  in  a  clump  of  open  timber,  very  near  a  much  frequented  path. 
The  nest  was  placed  like  that  of  Vireosylva  olwacea  between  the  forks 
near  the  end  of  a  small  branch  about  one  metre  from  the  ground. 
The  bowl  of  the  nest  was  as  large  as  that  of  an  American  Robin. 
Grass  stems  and  rootlets  were  the  only  materials  used. 

A  nest  without  eggs  taken  at  Caicara  July  4,  1898,  by  Mrs.  Cherrie, 
was  situated  in  a  small  -sapling  that  stood  in  an  open  glade  of  the 
forest.  This  nest  was  about  one  metre  from  the  ground  suspended 
between  the  horizontal  forks  of  a  slender  twig  and  measured  10  cm. 
outside  diameter  by  7  cm.  inside;  5.5  cm.  in  depth  outside,  by  4  cm. 
inside.  Fine  dry  grass  and  long  narrow  strips  of  some  soft  inner  bark 
is  employed  for  the  outside  while  there  is  an  inner  lining  of  horse-hair- 
like  vegetable  fibres.  The  whole  is  so  loosely  woven  that  eggs  could 
be  easily  seen  through  the  nest  walls. 

A  second  nest  containing  two  young,  taken  at  Caicara  by  the  writer 
June  21,  1907,  was  in  a  region  covered  with  dense  thickets,  having  only 
a  few  large  trees  scattered  here  and  there.  The  nest  was  suspended 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  279 

between  horizontal  forks  of  a  limb  of  a  tree  known  as  Cafia-fistola;  it  was 
about  1.52  m.  from  the  ground  and  just  above  a  thicket  of  thorny  vines 
that  would  have  effectually  protected  it  from  most  predatory  animals. 
In  the  materials  employed,  and  in  shape  it  is  similar  to  the  nest  described 
above  and  just  as  loosely  and  openly  woven.  The  greatest  diameter  of 
the  nest  cavity  is  just  below  the  edge  which  is  contracted  on  the  two 
sides  by  the  branches  of  the  fork  and  at  the  outer  edge,  between  the 
forks,  by  the  drawing  in  of  the  nest  wall,  a  condition  which  would  have 
prevented  the  eggs  being  thrown  out  had  the  branch  swayed  about  a 
great  deal. 

Of  the  two  young  taken  with  this  nest,  a  male  and  a  female,  the 
latter  was  considerably  the  larger  and  must  have  been  a  couple  of  days 
the  older.  Ordinarily  where  there  is  any  decided  difference  in  the 
plumages  of  adults,  the  young  in  Juvenal  plumage  will  bear  a  greater 
resemblance  to  the  female  than  to  the  male.  In  the  specimens  before 
me  the  pattern  of  coloration  is  that  of  the  male  in  both  the  male  andi 
the  female.  The  general  color  above  is  tawny  ochraceous,  inclined  to 
russet  on  the  crown,  rather  broadly  barred  with  blackish  or  dusky  black ; 
in  short,  they  differ  from  the  adult  male  chiefly  in  the  lack  of  a  length- 
ened crest  and  in  the  replacing  of  the  white  by  ochraceous.  Below,  they 
are  a  pale  ochraceous  buff,  that  fades  into  almost  pure  white  on  the 
abdomen,  narrowly  barred  with  dusky  on  the  breast  and  sides,  dark- 
est on  the  upper  breast,  faintly  showing  on  the  flanks  and  entirely  absent 
on  the  abdomen. 

PYGIPTILA  STELLARIS  (Spix). 

Thamnophilus  stellaris  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  27,  PI.  36,  fig.  2. 
Pygiptila  maculipenni's  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  71    (Munduapo,  Neri- 

cagua,  Orinoco  River),  in  part. 
Pygiptila  stellaris  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XII.  1906.  p.  367. 

Noted  only  on  the  upper  river,  above  the  second  falls,  where  it  was 
not  uncommon  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
also  record  it  from  La  Union  and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

There  are  two  specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collection  col- 
lected by  Klages  at  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River,  Venezuela,  that 
I  am  unable  to  identify  with  certainty.  They  may  or  may  not  belong  to 
the  same  species ;  I  am,  however,  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  they  repre- 
sent distinct  forms.  They  have  both  been  marked  as  males  by  the  col- 
lector, in  one  case,  however,  with  a  question.  Below  I  give  a  brief  de- 
scription of  each  of  the  specimens. 


280  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6.  % 

No.  76025  American  Museum  Collection  (  $    ?  La  Union,  Caura  Riv. 
Venez.     S.  M.  Klages  leg.). 
Thamnophilus  sp.  ? 

$  ?  La  Union,  Caura  River,  Venez.  18  Oct.  1901.  Leg.  S.  M. 
Klages  (No.  76025  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  Coll.). 

Entire  upper  parts  grey  (almost  slate).  A  concealed  white  spot 
in  centre  of  back.  Outer  webs  of  primaries  dark  russet  or  raw  umber, 
wing  coverts  narrowly  tipped  and  edged  with  same  color.  General 
color  of  under  parts  a  pale  cinnamon  brownish  or  buff,  much  clearer 
and  paler  on  the  throat  and  clearer  brown  (a  wood  brown)  on  the  under 
tail  coverts,  sides  and  flanks  grey  with  brownish  buff  wash.  Inner 
edges  of  wing  quills  cinnamon,  under  wing  coverts  brighter,  more  ochra- 
ceous. 

W.  77  T.  40  B.  1 8  T.s  20 
Thamnophilus  sp.? 

$  La  Union,  Caura  River,  Venez.  27  Sept.   1901.  Leg.  S.  M.  Klages 
{76020  Am.  Mus.  Coll.). 

Above,  crown  and  middle  of  back  slate  grey,  large  concealed  white 
patch  in  centre  of  back;  wings  black,  outer  webs  of  quills  largely  or 
entirely  uniform  slate  grey,  primary  coverts  black  with  small  white 
terminal  spots ;  greater,  median  and  lesser  coverts  also  blackish  with 
white  terminal  spots.  The  outer  webs  of  the  greater  coverts  are  largely 
slate  grey.  Tail  slate  grey.  Below  cinereous.  Inner  edges  of  some 
of  the  wing  quills  faintly  rufous. 
W.  81  T.  46  B.  20  Ts.  20. 


DYSITHAMNUS  ARDESIACUS  SATURNINUS   (Pelzeln). 

Thamnophilus  saturninus  Pelz.,  Orn.  Bras.  p.  147.  1869.  (Borba). 
Dysithamnus  ardesiacus  Scl.  &  Salv.  P.  Z.  S. :  1867 :  p.  756  (Rio  Napo)  ; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  71  (Munduapo,  Nericagua,  Orinoco  River). 
Dysithamnus  ardesiacus  saturninus  Hellmayr,  Verh.  Zool.-bot.  Ges.  Wien. 

LIII.  1903.  p.  216  (Caura  River). 

Not  seen  by  the  writer  along  the  Orinoco  but  recorded  by  Ber- 
lepsch and  Hartert  from  various  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  two  specimens  collected  by 
Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River,  and  one  collected  by  Andre  at 
Nicare. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  281 

DYSITHAMNUS  AFFINIS  ANDREI  Hellmayr. 

Dysithamnus  affinis  andrei  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  31  (Type, 
5    ad  ex  Caparo,  Trinidad). 

Mr.  C.  William  Beebe  obtained  a  specimen  at  Guanoco  in  the 
Orinoco  delta,  which  compared  with  examples  from  Trinidad,  showed 
itself  to  be  the  island  form. 

THAMNOMANES  GLAUCUS  Cabanis. 

Thamnomanes  glancus  Cab.,  Wiegn-Arch.  1847.  P-  23°-  PI-  35  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  71    (Munduapo,  Nericagua,  Bichaco,  Orinoco  River; 

Suapure,  La  Pricion,  Nicare  and  La  Union,  Caura  River,  Venez.). 
T[hamnomanes]  c[aesius]  glaucus  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906. 

p.  368  (Orinoco  region;  Munduapo,  Caura  River). 
T [hamnomanes]   caesius  glaucus  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.  1907.  p. 

65.     (Munduapo  and  Bichaco,  Orinoco  River,  Venez.). 

Common  on  the  upper  Orinoco  but  not  .observed  below  the  falls 
of  Maipures. 

In  the  American  Museum  is  a  series  collected  by  Klages  at  La 
Union  and  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

I  prefer  to  consider  this  as  a  distinct  species  and  not  as  a  race  of  T. 
caesius  (Licht.)  the  large  concealed  white  dorsal  patch  at  once  distin- 
guishing it  from  caesius  caesius  and  the  two  races  hoffmannsi  and  per- 
similis  of  that  species.  Also  I  believe  T.  caesius  schistogynus  Hellmayr 
should  be  accorded  specific  rank,  the  much  greater  development  of  the 
rictal  bristles  (not  mentioned  by  its  describer)  and  the  very  differently 
colored  female  distinguishing  it  at  once  from  other  Thamnomanes. 

MYRMOPAGIS  SCHISTOCOLOR  INTERIOR  Chapman. 

Myrmopagis  schistocolor  interior  Chapman  Bull.  A.  M.  N.  H.  XXXIII : 
1914:  p.  614  (Type  ex  Buena  Vista,  above  Villavicencio,  Eastern 
Andes,  Colombia)  Suapure  and  Mato  Riv. ;  Foot  Mt.  Duida,  Ori- 
noco Riv: 

Mr.  Chapman  in  discussing  the  races  of  schistocolor  states  that  the 
specimens  from  the  Upper  Orinoco  and  from  Caura  river  points  are 
intergrades  between  s.  sanctae-martae  and  s.  interior.  The  upper  Ori- 
noco birds  probably  represent  an  undescribed  form. 


282  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

MYRMOPAGIS1    AXILLARIS    (Vieillot). 

Myrmothera  axillaris  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XII.  1817.  p.  113. 
Myrmotherula  axillaris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  73. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  recorded  by  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  from  Suapure,  Nicare  and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura. 

MYRMOPAGIS  MELAENA  (Sclater). 

Myrmotherula  cherriei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  72 
Myrmotherula  melaena  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  74. 
M[yrmopagis]  melaena  Ridgway  Birds  N.  &  M.  Amer.  V:  1911:  p.  67 

Crit. 

Common  along  the  upper  river  from  the  neighborhood  of  the 
first  falls.  This  species  was  found  breeding  at  Maipures  in  January, 
and  the  nest  and  eggs  then  collected  have  been  described  by  Berlepsch 
and  H.artert  (/.  c.},  but  as  my  observations  made  in  the  field  are  some- 
what fuller,  I  reproduce  the  following  notes  from  my  journal. 

The  nest  was  situated  about  2.13  m.  above  the  ground  in  the 
midst  of  a  thick  tangle  of  overhanging  bamboo  branches,  the  bamboo 
thicket  forming  the  undergrowth  in  the  high,  dense  forest  which 
borders  the  river  in  that  region.  The  outer  walls  of  the  nest  were 
composed  of  old  and  broken  bamboo  leaves,  that  were  very  loosely 
held  together,  and  that  served  admirably  to  conceal  the  nest  which 
was  suspended  by  black  thread-like  vegetable  fibres  between  the  forks 
of  a  delicate  twig  of  bamboo.  The  nest  lining  consisted  of  fine,  thread- 
like vegetable  fibres  or  rootlets. 

The  eggs  are  elliptical-ovate  in  form.  When  fresh  the  ground 
color  was  a  delicate  pinkish  white,  which  after  blowing  became  a 
dead  white.  They  are  dotted  and  covered  with  criss-cross,  fine,  short 
lines  of  heliotrope  purple.  The  markings  are  heaviest  at  the  point  of 
greatest  diameter  and  almost  entirely  absent  about  the  smaller  end. 

The  nest  was  discovered  two  days  before  it  was  collected  and  on 
each  visit  the  male  parent  bird  was  found  brooding,  and  sat  so 
closely  that  I  could  approach  and  almost  put  my  hand  on  him  before 
he  would  desert  his  post.  When  he  would  finally  flush,  it  was  to 
slip  quietly  away  and  conceal  himself  in  the  surrounding  thicket.  On 
one  occasion  I  waited  for  over-  an  hour  for  his  return  but  was  disap- 
pointed, and  finally  the  female  came  slipping  noiselessly  along  toward 

'Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.    XXII.   1909.  p.  69. 


CHERRIE :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  283 

the  nest,  passing  very  near  to  me  and  pausing  long  enough  to  give 
me  a  quizzical  look  before  reaching  the  nest  and  settling  down  on 
the  eggs. 

MYRMOTHERULA  CHERRIEI  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Myrmothcrula  cherriei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  72 

(Type,  Perico,  Orinoco  River,  Venez.). 

The  type  of  this  species  now  in  the  Tring  Museum  was  collected 
by  the  writer  at  Perico,  just  below  the  falls  of  Attires.  The  species 
was  common  there  and  also  about  Maipures,  but  was  not  noted 
elsewhere. 

MYRMOTHERULA  SURINAMENSIS  SURINAMENSIS  (Gmelin). 
Sitta  surinamensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  444, 
Myrmotherula  surinamensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  73. 
M[yrmotherula]  s[urinamensis]  surmamcnsis  Hellm.  P.  Z.  S.  Part  IV: 

1911;  1159  (Caura  River  Valley). 

Only  one  specimen  of  this  species  was  collected  at  Munduapo  be- 
yond the  region  where  M.  cherriei  was  abundant,  owing  to  the  faot 
that  I  confounded  it  with  the  preceding  species. 

The  Tring  Museum  received  specimens  from  Caura  River  points, 
collected  by  Klages  and  by  Andre. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  from  La 
Union,  Mato  River  and  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River,  collected  by 
Klages. 

MYRMOTHERULA  PYGMAEA  (Gmelin). 
Muscicapa  pygmaea  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  933. 
Myrmotherula  pygmaea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  73. 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  La  Pricion,  Caura 
River. 

MYRMOTHERULA  GUTTATA  (Vieillot). 

Myrmothera  guttata  Vieill.,  Gal.  Ois.  I.  1825.  p.  251.  PI.  155. 
Myrmotherula  guttata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  73. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper  but  recorded  from  La  Union 
and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 


284  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

MYRMOTHERULA  HAEMATONOTA  (Sclater). 

Formicivora  haematonota  Sclater,  P.  Z.   S.,  1857,  p.  48. 
Myrmotherula  pyrrhonota  Scl.  &  Salv.  Nomencl.  Av.  Neotr.   1873.  PP- 

72,  160;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  73. 
Myrmotherula  haematonota  Hellmayr  Novit.  Zool.  XIV:   1907:  71,  72 

(Orinoco  &  Caura). 

Abundant  on  the  upper  Orinoco,  above  the  second  falls. 

Not  observed  elsewhere.  Also  recorded  from  Suapure,  Xicare 
and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  collected  by 
Klages  on  the  Caura  River  at  Suapure  and  La  Union  during  Sep- 
tember and  October. 

MYRMOTHERULA  LONGIPENNIS  Pelzeln. 

Myrmotherula  longipennis  Pelz.,  Zur.  Orn.  Bras.  II.  1868.  pp.  82,  153; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  74. 

Recorded  from  Suapure,  Nicare,  La  Union  and  La  Pricion  on 
the  Caura  River,  but  not  observed  along  the  Orinoco. 

MYRMOTHERULA  CINEREIVENTRIS  CINEREIVENTRIS  Sclater  &  Salvin. 

Myrmotherula  cinereiventris  Scl.  &  Salv.,  P.  Z.  S.   1867  p.  756   (Ca- 
yenne). 

Specimen  of  M.  cinereiventris  in  the  American  Museum  collection 
from  points  in  the  Caura  region  (La  Union,  and  Mato  River)  belong  to 
the  typical  race  and  are  conspicuously  darker  than  is  the  Upper  Ori- 
noco race.  . 

MYRMOTHERULA  CINEREIVENTRIS  PALLIDA  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Myrmotherula  cinereiventris  pallida  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,   Novit.   Zool. 

IX.  1902.  p.  74.     (Type,  Nericagua,  Orinoco  River,  Venez.). 

The  writer  collected  the  type  of  this  subspecies  at  Nericagua  on 
the  upper  Orinoco  beyond  the  falls  of  Maipures,  a  short  distance 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Vicada  River.  The  subspecies  was  abundant 
all  along  the  Orinoco  from  near  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  River  as  far 
as  I  ascended.  Specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collection  from  the 
foot  of  Mount  Duida  belong  to  this  race. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  285 

HERPSILOCHMUS  RUFIMARGINATUS  PRATER  Sclater  &  Salvin. 
Herpsilochmus  f rater  Scl.  &  Salv.,  P.  Z.  S.  1880.  p.  159. 
Herpsilochmus  rufimarginatus  frater  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  75. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco,  but  recorded  from  Suapure  on  the 
Caura  River.  In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  an  adult  male  from 
that  point. 

HERPSILOCHMUS  STICTURUS  STICTURUS  Salvin. 
Herpsilochmus  sticturus  Salvin,    Ibis    1885.    P-    424    (Bartica    Grove, 

British  Guiana). 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  a  specimen  from  Boca  de 
Sina,  Cunucunuma  River,  Upper  Orinoco. 

HERPSILOCHMUS  STICTURUS  NIGRESCENS  Todd. 
Herpsilochmus    sticturus    nigrescens    Todd,    Proc.    Biol.    Soc.    Wash. 

XXVIII.  1915,  80  (Type  ex  Maripa,  Rio  Caura,  Venez.). 

I  have  not  seen  this  race,  that  is  said  to  differ  from  s.  sticturus  in 
having  a  greater  admixture  of  black  above  and  "under  parts  much 
darker,  more  grayish,  the  throat  and  breast  indistinctly  striped  with 
dusky  grayish  and  white." 

MICRORHOPIAS  CANO-FUMOSUS  (Cherrie). 
Formicivora  cano-fumosus  Cherrie,  Sci.  Bull.  Bklyn.  Inst.  Mus.  I.  1909, 

p.  387.     (Type,    $  ,  ex  Las  Barrancas,  Delta  reg.,  Orinoco  River, 

Venez.). 

Observed  and  taken  only  in  the  type  locality,  where  three  males 
and  three  females  were  collected  between  July  3Oth  and  August  2nd. 

MiCRORHOPiAs1   ORENOCENSIS   (Hellmayr). 

Formicivora  orenocensis  Hellmayr,   Bull.   Br.  Orn.  Cl.  XIV.   1904.  54 
(Type,    $    ad:  ex.  Altagracia,  Orinoco  River,  Venez.) 

Formicivora  intermedia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  75. 

Abundant   along  the    Middle   Orinoco   from    Cuidad    Bolivar   to 

Caicara.      Keeps    chiefly    to    the    low    thickets    in    heavily   timbered 
regions. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  above  black,  below  slate  color ;  feet  slate  color. 


lMicrorhopias  rufa. 

MyiotherarufaWied,  Beitr.  Naturg.  Bras..iii.,  p.  IOQS.  1831.  (Bahia). 

Fvrmicivora  rufatra  Sclater,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  XV.  1890.  p.  251  (Orinoco?)    Recorded  from  the 
Orinoco,  with  a  query  by  Sclater. 


286  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  specimens  from  points 
on  the  Caura  River,  which  agree  exactly  with  Giudad  Bolivar  and 
Caicara  specimens. 

HAPALOCERCUS  MELORYPHUS  (Wied). 

Euscarthmus  meloryphus  Wied,  Beitr.  Naturg.  Bras.  III.  1831.  p.  947. 
Hapalocercus  meloryphus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  40. 

Rare.  Only  once  met  with  by  the  writer,  an  adult  female  having 
been  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  April  8,  1905. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  above  black,  below  pale;  feet  grey. 

The  specimen  secured  was  discovered  perched  low  down  on  the 
limb  of  a  tree  at  the  edge  of  a  small  clump  of  trees  and  bushes  on 
the  savanna.  In  actions  the  bird  was  decidedly  flycatcher-like  ;  but 
the  scutellation  of  the  tarsus1  is  very  like  that  of  Formicivora  and  I 
am  following  Mr.  Ridgway2  in  including  it  with  the  Formicanidae. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a  single  specimen  collected  by 
Klages  that  was  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar. 

The  outer  and  middle  toes  are  united  at  the  base  for  the  length 
of  the  basal  phalanx  of  the  outer  toe,  and  about  one-half  the  length 
of  the  basal  phalanx  of  the  middle  toe.  Outer  toe  with  claw  slightly 
longer  than  the  middle  toe  without  claw ;  without  claw  reaching  to  about 
the  middle  of  the  subterminal  phalanx  of  the  middle  toe. 

TERENURA  SPODIOPTILA  Sclater  &  Salvin. 
Terenura  spodioptila  Scl.  &  Salv.,  Ibis,  1881.  p.  270.  PI.  9.  fig.  i ;  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  75. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco,  but  recorded  from  Suapure  on  the 
Caura  River. 

CERCOMACRA  CINERASCENS  (Sclater). 

Formicivora  cinerascens  Sclater,  P.  Z.  S.  1857  p.  131  (Rio  Napo). 

Cercomacra  napensis  Scl.,  P.  Z.  S.,  1868.  p.  572  (Rio  Napo)  ;  Berlepsch 
&  Hartert,  p.  75. 

Cercomacra  cinerascens,  Hellmayr  Novit.  Zool.  XII:  1905:  287  (habi- 
tat and  crit.). 

'The  following  observations  were  made  as  a  result  of  an  examination  of  a  fresh  tarsus;  the  acrotarsium 
covers  somewhat  more  than  the  anterior  half  of  the  tarsus.  On  the  plantar  tarsi  is  a  double  row  of  elongated 
irregularly  quadrate  scutella  extending  from  the  heel  to  the  toes;  but  from  the  point  of  the  heel  for  a  short 
distance  down  the  double  series  is  separated  by  a  median  row  of  small  scutella.  There  is  also  a  narrow 
non  scutellate  area  along  the  inside  face  between  the  edges  of  the  acrotarsium  and  the  scutella  covering 
the  planta  and  a  similar  area  on  the  outside  at  the  upper  end. 

'Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.     IV.  1907.  339. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  287 

Taken  by  the  writer  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo,  but  not 
noted  elsewhere.  It  is  also  recorded  from  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

CERCOMACRA  TYRANNINA  TYRANNINA  (Sclater). 
Pyriylcna  tyrannina  Sol.,  P.  Z.  S.  1855.  p.  90. 
Cercomacra  tyrannina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  76. 
Cercomacra  tyrannina  tyrannina,  Ridgw.  Bds.   N.   and  M.   Amer.,   V: 

1911 :  93  (Points  on  Orinoco  and  Caura  rivers). 

Abundant  on  the  upper  river  from  just  below  the  falls  of  Atures 
as  far  as  I  ascended.  Not  noted  elsewhere  by  me,  but  recorded  by 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  various  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

CERCOMACRA  NIGRICANS  Sclater. 
Cercomacra  nigricans  Scl.  P.  Z.  S.  1858.  p.  245 ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  76. 

Noted  as  abundant  in  the  delta  region  at  Las  Barrancas  but 
much  less  common  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river  up  as  far 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Apure.  Orinoco  birds  seem  to  be  identical  with 
American  Museum  specimens  from  the  Caura  River,  Colombia,  Santa 
Marta  and  from  Panama. 

SCLATERIA  ARGENTATA    (Des   Murs). 

Herpsilochmns  argentatus  Des  Murs,  Voy.  Casteln,  Ois.   (1855).  p.  53. 
fig.  2. 

Sclateria  argentata  Oberholser,  Proc.  Phil.  Acad.  LI.  1899.  p.  210;  Hell- 

mayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.  1907.  p.  375  (Maipures,  Orinoco). 
Heterocnemis  argentata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902,  p. 
76  (part)   (Maipures,  Orinoco  River). 

Rare,  met  with  at  Maipures,  only,  during  December.  Specimens 
collected  at  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River  by  Andre  were  also  included 
under  H.  argentata  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  but  have  since  been 
separated  as  a  subspecific  form  of  S.  schistacca  by  Mr.  Hellmayr. 

SCLATERIA  SCHISTACEA  CAURENSIS  Hellmayr. 
Sclateria  schistacea  caurensis  Hellmayr,  Bull.  Brit.  Orn.  Club.  XIX.  1906. 

P-  9  (Type,    $   ad.  ex.  Caura  River,  Venez.). 
Heterocnemis  argentata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool  IX.  1902.  p.  76 

(part) 


288  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

S[clateria]    s[chistacea]    caurensis   Hellmayr,   Novit.   Zool.    XIV.    1907. 
P-  376. 
Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

MYRMECIZA  LONGIPES  GRISEIPECTUS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Myrmeciza  longipes  griseipectus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX. 
1902.  p.  76.  (Type,  $  ad.  Caicara,  Orinoco  River,  Venez.  in 
Museum  Tring;  Caicara,  Perico  and  Munduapo,  River  Orinoco  and 
Suapure  and  La  Pricion,  Caura  River. 

M[yrmeciza]  l[ongipes]  griseipectus  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906. 

P-  33- 

Eye  bright  chestnut ;  bill  black ;  feet  pinkish  white. 

This  species  was  not  noted  below  Caicara,  but  was  observed  on 
the  upper  river  as  far  as  I  extended  my  explorations.  It  inhabits  the 
thick  forest,  and  while  not  rare  it  is  more  often  heard  than  seen.  It 
has  a  high  flute-like  whistle  that  is  very  difficult  to  trace.  Birds  may 
be  very  near,  concealed  in  the  thick  underbrush,  but  as  they  walk 
rapidly  away  from  one,  the  call  notes  seem  to  come  from  half  a  dozen 
different  directions.  I  have  never  seen  them  anywhere  except  on  the 
ground  where  they  walk  and  run  easily  and  gracefully  over  the  fallen 
(leaves,  and  when  flushed  fly  but  a  short  distance  and  again  drop  to 
the  ground. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  a  series  collected  by 
Klages  at  Suapure  and  Maripa  on  the  Caura  River. 

MYRMECIZA  SCHISTACEA  Todd. 

Myrmeciza  schistacea  Todd,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXVI:  1913:  172 
(Type  ex  El  Llagual,  Caura  district  Venezuela). 
I  have  not  seen  this  species. 

MYRMODERAS  ATROTHORAX  (Boddaert). 

Formicarius  atrothorax  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  44. 

Myrmeciza  atrothorax  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  77. 

Myrmeciza  atrothorax  atrothorax  Hellmayr,  Verh.  Zool.  Bot.  Ges.  Wien, 

LIII.  1903.  p.  214. 
Myrmoderus  atrothorax  Ridgw.  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXII :  1907 :  70. 

Rare ;  seen  by  the  writer  on  the  upper  Orinoco  only  at  Mun- 
duapo. It  is  also  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  from  La 
Pricion,  Nicare  and  .La  Union  on  the  Caura  River. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  289 

HYPOCNEMIS  FLAVESCENS  FLAVESCENS  Sclater. 
Hypocnemis  flavescens  Scl.  P.  Z.    S.    1864    p.    609    ( Marabitanas,    Rio 

Negro,  Brazil). 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  a  series  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  foot  of  Mt.  Duida  and  Boca  de  Sina,  Rio  Cunucunuma 
(Upper  Orinoco)  that  probably  represent  typical  Have sc ens  flavescens. 

I  am  not  at  all  sure  that  the  Caura  River  form  is  sufficiently  dis- 
tinct to  warrant  separation  but  as  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Todd  the  breast 
seems  less  distinctly  squamate  and  apparently  there  is  a  slight  difference 
in  size,  /.  humilis  being  the  smaller. 

HYPOCNEMIS  FLAVESCENS  HUMILIS  Todd. 

Hypocnemis  flavescens  humilis  Todd,   Proc.   Biol.   Soc.  Wash,   XXVI : 

1913:  172   (La  Lajita,  Caura,  Venezuela). 
Hypocnemis  flavescens  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  77. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  recorded  from  Nicare, 
Suapure,  La  Lajita  and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

HYLOPHYLAX  POECILONOTA  POECILONOTA  (Cabanis). 

Hypocnemis  poecilonota  Cab.,  Weigm.  Arch.  1847.  P-  2I3-  PL  4»  n£-  2! 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  78. 
Hypocnemis  poecilinota  poecilinota  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906. 

p.  371  (Munduapo  and  Nericagua,  Orinoco  River,  Suapure,  Nicare, 

La  Union  and  La  Pricion,  Caura  River). 
Hylophylax  poecilonota  Ridgvvay,  Birds  of  N.  &  M.  Am.  V:  p.  128. 

Common  about  Munduapo  and  Nericagua.  Also  recorded  by 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  and  by  Hellmayr  from  points  on  the  Caura 
River.  In  the  American  Museum  there  is  a  specimen  from  Suapure. 

HYLOPHYLAX  POECILONOTA  LEPIDONOTA   (Sclater  &  Salvin). 
Hypocnemis  lepidonota  Scl.  &  Salv.  P.  Z.  S.  1880  p.  160  Sarayagu,  E. 

Ecuador. 

Miller  and  Iglseder,  collecting  for  the  American  Museum,  at  the 
foot  of  Mount  Duida  secured  a  series  of  specimens  that  I  have  referred 
to  this  race.  The  males,  however,  are  paler  below,  light  neutral  gray 
(Ridgway's  Color  Standards),  than  are  two  other  specimens,  one  from 
La  Murelia,  Caqueta,  Colombia,  and  one  from  Zamora.  Province  de 
Loja,  Ecuador,  that  are  deep  neutral  gray.  Two  females  are  also  lighter 


2QO  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE;  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

in  color  than  females  from  La  Murelia  with  a  greater  suffusion  of  buffy 
on  the  under  parts  and  more  rufous  or  hazel  above,  particularly  on  the 
crown  and  occiput. 

HYLOPHYLAX  PUNCTULATA  (Des  Murs). 

Rhopothera  punctulata  Des  Murs,  Voy.  Casteln.,  Ois.  p.  53. 
Hypocnemis  punctulata  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.   1907.  p  377    (La 
-    Pricion,  Caura  River,  Venez.). 

There  is  a  pair  in  the  American  Museum  collection  from  La  Union, 
Caura  Riv. 

HYLOPHYLAX  NAEVIA  CONSOBRINA  Todd. 
Pipra  naevia  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  1003. 
Hypocnemis  naevia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  79. 

H[ylophylax]  'naevia  Ridgway.     Birds  of  N.  &  M.  Amer.  V:  p.  128. 
Hylophylax  consobrina  Todd,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXVI:  1913:  172 

(Rio  Mocho,  Rio  Caura,  Venezuela). 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco,  but  recorded  from  La  Pricion  on  the 
Caura  River  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

Miller  and  Iglseder  collected  a  pair  of  birds  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Duida,  Upper  Orinoco  (American  Museum  collection)  that  probably 
belongs  to  this  race.  I  have  however  only  a  single  example  (from 
"Napo")  that  may  be  referred  to  naevia  naevia  for  comparison.  The 
differences  are  not  marked,  but  perhaps  sufficient  to  constitute  a  good 
race.  The  abdomen,  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts  are  pale  buffy  instead 
of  dark  ochraceous  buff.  The  buffy  spots  on  the  mantle  are  also  larger. 

MYRMOBORUS  LEUCOPHRYS  (Tschudi). 

Pithy s  leucophrys  Tsch.  in  Weign.    Arch.    1844.    p.    18    (Peru,    "Fluss 

Tullnmayo"}. 

Myrmoborus  leucophrys  Cab.  et  Hein.  Mus.  Hein.  II:  (1859)  :  9. 
Hypocnemis  leucophrys  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  78. 

"Common  on  the  upper  river  above  the  falls  of  Maipures,  also 
recorded  from  points  on  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

MYRMOBORUS  MYIOTHERINA  MYioTHERiNA'(Spix). 

Thamnophilus  myiothcrinus  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  30,  PI.  42,  fig.  i. 
Myrmoborus  myiotherinus  Cab.  et  Hein.  Mus.  Hein.  ii  (1859)  :  9. 


CHERKIK:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  291 

Hypocnemis  myiotherina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  78. 

Hypocnemis  myiotherina  myiotherina  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.  1907. 

p.  20. 

Not  noted  on  the  Orinoco  but  recorded  from  its  tributary  the 
Caura,  from  La  Pricion  and  Nicare. 

MYRMOBORUS  MELANOPOGON  (Sclater). 
Hypocnemis   melanopogon    Scl.,»  P.    Z.    S.    1857.    p.    130;    Berlepsch   & 

Hartert,  p.  78;  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV:  1907:  381.   (Orinoco 

River  and  Caura  River  localities). 

Not  noted  as  common  at  any  point,  but  observed  all  the  way 
from  Altagracia  to  above  the  falls.  Also  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert  from  points  on  the  Caura  River,  and  in  1907  I  found  this 
species  common  along  the  San  Feliz  River  near  its  junction  with  the 
Cuchivero  River. 

PITHVS  ALBIFRONS  (Linnaeus). 

Pipra  albifrons  Linn.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  339. 
Pithys  albifrons  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  79. 

Rare,  seen  only  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua. 
Usually  in  company  with  other  species  of  Ant-Thrushes  and  Wood- 
hewers  following  in  the  wake  of  the  foraging  ants. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  also  record  specimens  from  Suapure  and 
Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 

ANOPLOPS  RUFIGULA  PALIDUS  Cherrie. 
Anoplops  rufigula  palidus  Cherrie,   Sci.   Bull.   Bklyn.   Inst.   Mus.   1909. 

p.  390  (Type,   $   ex  Suapure,  Caura  River,  Venez.). 

Similar  to  A.  rufigula  rufigula  from  Cayenne,  but  smaller  and 
much  less  deeply  colored  above,  being  olive  brownish  with  a  slight 
rufous  wash,  while  Cayenne  birds  are  a  deep  rich  umber  brown 
with  olive  wash.  The  type  specimen  measures :  wing  74  mm. ;  tail 
47  -mm. 

RHOPOTERPE  TORQUATA  TORQUATA  (Boddaert). 

Formicarius  torquatus  Boddaert,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  43  (ex  Dubentori 
PI.  enl.  700.  Fig.  i.)  (Type,  ex  Cayenne  apud  Berlepsch.) 

There  are  two  specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collection  se- 
cured by  Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River:  $  September  11, 
1901 ;  $  February  8,  1901. 

Not  before  recorded  from  the  Orinoco  region. 


292  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

RAMPHOCAENUS  MELANURUS  TRINITATIS  Lesson. 
Ramphocaenus  trinitatis  Lesson,  Rev.  Zool.  1839.  p.  42. 
Ramphocaenus  melanurus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  79. 

Rare  on  the  Orinoco;  two  collected  at  Munduapo  in  February 
and  one  at  Nericagua  in  April.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  it  from 
the  Caura  River,  and  in  the  American  Museum  collection  are  speci- 
mens taken  by  S.  M.  Klages  at  Suapure  and  at  Maripa  on  that  river. 

FORMICARIUS  COLMA  coLMA  Boddaert. 
Formicarius  colma  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  44. 
Formicarius  nigrifrons  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  80. 

Rare,  two  taken  at  Nericagua  during  March  and  April.  A  nest 
of  this  species,  from  which  the  parent  was  flushed,  was  found  at 
Nericagua  in  March,  1899.  It  was  a  natural  cavity  in  a  tree  trunk, 
about  5  metres  from  the  ground.  The  cavity  was  about  40  cm.  in 
depth  and  about  15  cm.  in  diameter.  The  bottom  was  lined  with 
rootlets  and  dry  grasses.  The  two  eggs  were  pure  white. 

Recorded  also  from  points  on  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  four  specimens,  one  from 
El  Llagual,  and  three  from  La  Union,  Caura  River.  These  skins, 
three  of  which  are  labelled  as  females,  indicate  that  the  adult  female 
is  exactly  similar  to  the  adult  males,  i.  e.,  without  any  white  on  chin 
or  throat1.  One  of  the  examples  before  me  has  the  extreme  upper 
throat  and  chin  white  and  the  throat  flecked  with  white ;  another  has 
a  small  chin  spot  only  white,  while  the  third  is  without  any  white. 

An  examination  of  Mr.  Ridgway's  type  of  F.  nigrifrons  glaucopec- 
tus2  from  British  Guiana  with  the  other  examples  of  the  same  from  the 
American  Museum  collection,  compared  with  the  Caura  River  speci- 
mens, indicates  that  glaucopectus  is  a  well  marked  subspecies  dis- 
tinguished by  the  great  extension  of  sooty  blackish  down  over  the  chest 
and  even  onto  the  sides. 

FORMICARIUS  RUFICEPS   (Spix). 
Myiothera  ruficeps  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  i.  p.  72,  pi.  72  fig.  I,  (1824). 

A  single  specimen  in  the  American  Museum  collection,  taken  by 
Klages  at  La  Union,  Caura  River,  Venez.,  evidently  belongs  to  this 

'Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XII.  1905.  292,  believed  the  throat  of  adult  female  to  be  white  "sharply 
defined  against  the  sooty  grey  breast.  " 

*Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.     XVI.  1893.  p.  673. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  293 

species.  The  specimen  is  a  male  and  was  taken  September  26,  1901. 
The  throat  and  anterior  part  of  the  malar  region  is  ochraceous  buff, 
but  with  many  of  the  feathers  tipped  with  blackish. 

CONOPOPHAGIDAE— THE  GNATEATERS. 
Only  a  single  species  of  those  pertaining  to  this   family  has  been 
recorded  from  the  Orinoco  region. 

CORYTHOPIS  TORQUATA  ANTHOiDES  (Pucheran). 
Muscicapa  anthoidcs  Pucheran   (ex  Cuvier),  Arch,  du  Mus.  Par.  VII 

(1855),  p.  334- 
Corythopis  anthoides  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  80. 

Rare ;  one  specimen  taken  at  Nericagua.  There  is  a  single  speci- 
men in  the  American  Museum  (Klages  collection)  from  La  Union  on 
the  Caura  River — a  female  collected  September  26,  1901. 

TROCHILIDAE— THE  HUMMINGBIRDS. 

I  was  disappointed  in  the  number  of  species  of  hummingbirds 
met  with  on  the  Orinoco  River.  Only  twenty-eight  were  included  in 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper,  twenty-two  of  which  number  were 
collected  on  the  Orinoco  proper  by  the  writer,  the  remaining  six  were 
from  the  Caura  River  collected  by  Klages  or  Andre. 

While  the  number  of  species  secured  was  a  disappointment,  it  is 
perhaps  not  remarkable  when  considered  in  connection  with  the  fact 
that  we  devoted  the  greater  part  of  our  time  to  the  more  or  less 
open  savanna  regions  bordering  the  middle  stretches  of  the  Orinoco — 
a  region  of  low  altitude,  characterized  by  great  stretches  of  open  or 
sparsely  wooded  savannas,  and  little  variety  in  the  vegetation. 

GLAUCIS  HIRSUTA  HIRSUTA  (Gmelin). 
Trochilus  hirsutus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I,  1788.  p.  490. 
Clauds  hirsuta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  80. 
One  taken  at  Munduapo. 

PHOETHORNIS  AFFINIS  AFFINIS  Pelzeln1. 

Phaetornis  affinis  Pelz.,  Sitz.  Akad.  Wien,  XX.   1856.  p.   157. 
Phacthornis  superciliosus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  80. 

Common  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua. 

'See  Hellmayr's  remarks  regarding  the  use  of  this  name:  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  374- 


294  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

PHOETHORNIS   HISPIDUS   (Gould). 
Trochilus  hispidus  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1846.  p.  90. 
Phaethomis  hispidus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  81. 

Common  in  the  same  general  region  as  P.  affinis  affinis. 

PHOETHORNIS  AUGUSTI  (Bourcier). 

Trochilus  august i  Bourc.,  Ann.  Soc.  Agric.  Lyon,  X.  1847.  p.  623. 
Phaethomis  augusti  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  81. 

Seen  only  at  Caicara  where  two  specimens  were  taken. 

PHOETHORNIS  RUPURUMII  RUPURUMII  Boucard. 
Phaetornis  Rupurumii  Boucard,  The  Humming  Bird,   II.    1892.   p.    i. 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  81. 

Colors  of  fresh  birds  are :  eye  seal  brown ;  maxilla  black,  mandible 
lemon  yellow,  black  at  tip;  feet  dusky. 

This  species  is  found  all  along  the  middle  "and  upper  Orinoco  and 
is  not  uncommon  in  the  low,  often  almost  impenetrable,  thickets  near 
the  borders  of  deep  forest  areas.  They  keep  close  to  the  ground,  and 
their  color  harmonizes  so  closely  with  stems  of  the  vines  and  the 
branches  of  the  undergrowth  about  them  that  they  are  rarely  seen. 
I  have  sat  for  a  half  hour  at  a  time  hearing  their  oft-repeated  squeaky 
hissing  notes  all  about  me,  frequently  within  a  very  few  feet  of  me, 
and  have  failed  to  see  one  of  the  performers. 

PHOETHORNIS  RUBER  EPISCOPUS  Gould1. 
Phaethomis  episcopus  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1857.  p.  14. 
Phaethomis  ruber  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  82. 
Phaethomis  caurensis  Simon  et  Delmas,  Ornis,  XI.  1901.  p.  208  (Caura 

River,  Venez.). 

Common  at  Munduapo  and  at  Nericagua. 

CAMPYLOPTERUS  LARGIPENNIS   (Boddaert). 
Trochilus  largipennis  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  41. 
Campylopterus  largipennis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  82. 
Abundant  at  Nericagua.     Not  seen  elsewhere. 

1See  Hellmayr's  notes  on  the  races  of  P.  ruber:  Novit  Zool.  XIV.  1907.  P-  375. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  295 

FLORISUGA  MELLIVORA  MELLIVORA  (Linnaeus). 

Trochilus  mellivorus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  121. 
Florisuga  mellivora  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  82. 

Not  observed  at  Bolivar  and  rare  at  Caicara  where  an  adult  male 
and  an  adult  female  were  taken  May  8th.  Abundant  on  the  upper 
river. 

Eye  seal ;  bill  black ;  feet  dusky  blackish. 

AGYRTRIA  ALBIVENTRIS  (Lesson). 

Ornismya  albiventris  Less.,  Hist.  Nat.  Ois.-Mouches,  1829.  pp.  XXXIV, 

209.  PI.  76. 
Agyrtria  albiventris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  83. 

This  is  the  most  abundant  species  of  Hummingbird  found  along 
the  Orinoco  up  as  far  as  the  falls  in  the  river.  It  is  a  bird  of  the 
open  savanna  regions. 

Eye  dark  seal  brown ;  bill  dusky  reddish  with  blackish  tip ;  feet 
dusky. 

I  have  found  nests  every  month  from  May  to  November,  and  in 
localities  as  varied  as  the  months — from  a  point  out  toward  the  ex- 
treme tip  of  a  limb  of  a  tree  20  metres  up,  to  the  forks  of  a  slender 
shrub  not  more  than  50  cm.  above  the  ground.  A  nest  before 
me  is  a  neat,  trim,  little  cup-shaped  affair,  built  of  the  soft  silky  bits 
of .  native  cotton  adorned,  on  the  outside,  with  scattered  pieces  of 
greenish  gray  lichens.  It  measures  4  cm.  diameter  by  2.8  cm.  in 
depth  outside,  and  2.7  cm.  diameter  by  about  1.8  cm.  in  depth  inside. 
It  was  located  about  1.6  m.  from  the  ground  near  the  tip  of  a  large 
horizontal  limb  of  a  mango  tree,  at  a  point  where  a  tiny  twig 
branches  from  the  main  stem,  the  angles  between  the  two  forming 
the  foundation  for  the  nest.  The  egg  (one  of  the  set  broken)  is 
elliptical-oval  in  form  and  measures  13.2  x  8.8  mm. 

AGYRTRIA  FIMBRIATA    (Gmelin). 

Trochilus  fimbriatus  Gmelin,  Syst.  Nat.  I:  1788:  p.  493  (Cayenne). 
Agyrtria  fimbriata  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913:  p.  201   (Boca 

Uracoa,  and  Buelta  Trieste,  River  Manimo;  Cano  Corosal). 

Reported  from  the  delta  country  by  Stone. 


296  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

AGYRTRIA  MILLERI  (Bourcier). 
Trochilus  milleri  Bourc.,  P.  Z.  S.  1847.  p.  43. 
Agyrtria  milleri  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  83. 

The  distribution  along-  the  Orinoco  seems  to  be  about  the  same  as 
with  albiventris  but  it  is  much  less  common. 


AGYRTRIA  CHIONOPECTUS  CHIONOPECTUS  (Gould). 
Thaumantias  chionopectus  Gould,  Monogr.  Trochili.  V:  (1859)  :  pi.  293 

(Trinidad);     Stone,     Proc.     Ac.    Nat.    Sci.    Phil.    1913:    p.    201 

(Guinipa  Village;  Pedernales). 

Stone  records  specimens  from  the  delta.  It  is  replaced  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Caura  and  beyond  by  the  allied  race  whitelyi. 

AGYRTRIA  CHIONOPECTUS  WHITELYI  (Boucard). 

Uranomitra  whitelyi  Boucard,  The  Humming  Bird,  III.  1893.  p.  8. 
Agyrtria  chionopectus  whitelyi  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  84. 

This  species  was  reported  from  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert,  having  been  collected  by  both  Andre  and  Klages.  In 
May,  1907,  the  writer  found  it  abundant  along  the  San  Feliz  River 
near  its  union  with  the  Cuchivero  River.  Either  this  or  typical  chion- 
opectus will  be  very  likely  found  in  the  Orinoco  Delta. 

SAUCEROTTIA  CUPREICAUDA  (Salvin  &  Godman). 
Amazilia  cupreicauda  Salv.  &  Godm.,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  452. 
Saucerottia  cupreicauda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  84. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  specimens  from  "Mountains  west 
of  Suapure,"  collected  by  Klages.  Not  observed  by  the  writer. 

SAUCEROTTIA  ERYTHRONOTOS  CAURENSIS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Saucerotta  erythronotos  caurensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX. 
1902.  p.  84.  (Type  in  Museum  Tring,  $  ,  Suapure,  Caura  River, 
Venez.). 

The  writer  did  not  obtain  specimens  of  this  Hummingbird,  but 
examples  were  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  from  Ciudad  Bolivar,  and 
the  type  locality  by  S.  M.  Klages. 


ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  297 

HYLOCHARIS  SAPPHIRINA  (Gmelin). 
Trochilus  sapphirinus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  496. 
Hylocharis  sapphirina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  84. 

Seen  only  on  the  upper  river  at  Nericagua,  where  it  was  abun- 
dant. 

HYLOCHARIS  CYANUS  VIRIDVENTRIS  Berlepsch. 
Hylocharis  cyanea  viridiventris  Berl.,  Ibis,  1880.  p.  113. 
Hylocharis  cyanus  viridiventris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  85. 

Three   taken   at   Nericagua   during  April,    1899;   not   observed   at 
other  points  along  the  Orinoco  proper. 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  Suapure  and  from  La 
Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 


CHLORESTES  COERULEUS  (Vieillot). 

Trochilus  coeruleus  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VII.  1871.  p.  361. 
Chlorestes  coeruleus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  85. 

Common  from  Altagracia  to  Munduapo  on  the  upper  river;  also 
recorded  from  Caura  River  points  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  maxilla  and  tips  of  mandible  black,  basal  four-fifths 
of  mandible  flesh  color;  feet  dusky. 

CHLOROSTILBON  CARIBAEUS  NANUS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Chlorostilbon  caribaeus  nanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902. 

p.  86  (Type,  ex  Caicara  River,  Orinoco,  Venezuela). 

Abundant  at  Caicara,  where  the  writer  collected  the  type  speci- 
men (adult  male  No.  10157  Coll.  Geo.  K.  and  Stella  M.  Cherrie,  Cai- 
cara, Venez.  Feb.  19,  1898),  now  in  the  Tring  Museum  (/.  *:.)•  This 
species  was  not  observed  anywhere  beyond  the  falls  of  Atures. 

Eye  dusky ;  bill  and  feet  black. 

THALURANIA  TSCHUDII  Gould. 
Thalurania  tschudii  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1860.  p.  312;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  86. 

Common  on  the  upper  river  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua.  Not 
observed  elsewhere. 


298  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

THALURANIA  REEULGENS  Gould. 
Thalurania  refulgens  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1852:  p.  9;  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat. 

Sci.  Phil.  1913:  p.  201.  (Manimo  Riv.,  Isla  de  Morocatico). 
;  Recorded  by  Stone  from  the  delta  country. 

THALURANIA  EURCATA  EISSILIS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Thalurania  furcata  fissilis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902. 

p.  87  (Type,  Caura  River,  Suapure,  Venezuela). 

This  species  was  described  from  specimens  collected  on  the  Caura 
River.  It  has  not  been  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  "Parima  Mountains" 
(Caura  River  region)  collected  by  Klages.  On  my  first  expedition 
this  species  was  not  observed,  but  in  1905  and  in  1907,  it  was  noted 
as  not  uncommon  about  Caicara  during  the  month  of  May. 

Eye  dark ;  bill  black ;  feet  dusky. 

ANTHRACOTHORAX  NIGRICOLLIS  (Vieillot). 
Trochilus  nigricollis  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VII.  p.  349. 
Lampornis  nigricollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  87. 

•  Common  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Meta  up  as  far  as  I  ex- 
tended my  explorations. 

ANTHRACOTHORAX  GRAMINEUS  (Gmelin). 
Trochilus  gramineus  Gmelin,  Syst.  Nat.,  1 :  1788 :  p.  488. 
Anthracothorax  gramineus  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913 :  p.  201 

(Pedernales). 

Recorded  by  Stone  from  the  delta. 

CHRYSOLAMPIS  ELATUS  (Linnaeus). 

Trochilus  mosquitus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  i  1766.  p.  192. 
Chrysolampis  mosquitus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  87. 

Common  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river  from  Ciudad 
Bolivar  up  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Meta.  Recorded  by  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  from  Suapure,  Temblador  and  La  Pricion,  on  the  Caura 
River. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  299 

HELIOTHRYX  AURITA  (Gmelin). 
Trochilus  auritus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  493. 
Hdiothrix  aurita  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  88. 

Rare.  One  specimen  taken  at  Maipures.  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert  record  specimens  collected  by  both  Klages  and  Andre  at 
points  on  the  Caura  River. 

ANTHOSCENUS  LONGIROSTRIS  LONGIROSTRIS  (Audeb  &  Vieillot). 
Trochilus  longirostris  Aud.  &  Vieill.,  Ois.  Dor.  I.  1802.  p.  128,  PI.  59. 
Floricola  longirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  88. 

Rare.  One  specimen  taken  at  Maipures ;  also  recorded  by  Ber- 
lepsch and  Hartert  from  Suapure  and  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

CALLIPHLOX  AMETHYSTINA  (Gmelin). 
Trochilus  amethystinus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  496. 
Calliphlo.v  amethystina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  88. 

Not  observed  on  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco,  but  not  un- 
common at  Caicara,  both  in  1905  and  1907.  The  specimens  secured 
were  feeding  about  the  flowers  of  low  bushes  just  along  a  path  at  the 
edge  of  the  dark  forest. 

Eye  dusky;  bill  and  feet  blackish. 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  Suapure  on  the  Caura 
River. 

CATHARMA  ORTHURA  (Lesson). 
Ornismya  orthura  Lesson,  Hist.  Nat.  Troch.,  p.  85,  88  t.  28,  29  (1832). 

On  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  this  species  was  not  ob- 
served, but  in  1905,  and  in  1907,  during  May  and  June,  it  was  not 
uncommon  about  Caicara.  The  females  collected  do  not  have  the  red 
apical  spots  on  the  throat  feathers.  On  the  other  hand  each  feather 
of  the  throat  has  the  tip  green,  similar  in  shade  to  the  back,  and  nar- 
rowly edged  with  buff.  The  forward  parts  of  the  cheeks  are  white, 
and  the  dusky  spots  below  the  eye  blend  into  the  dusky  greenish 
feathers  of  the  lower  throat  forming  an  ill-defined  band  across  the 
lower  throat.  The  outer  rectrices  are  tipped  with  cinnamon. 

LOPHORNIS  ORNATUS  (Boddaert) 
Trochilus  ornatus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  39. 
Lophornis  ornatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  88. 


300  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Not  uncommon  at  Caicara.     Three  males  and  one  female  were 
taken  during  June,  1907.     One  only  taken  on  my  first  expedition. 
Eye  dark  seal ;  bill  black ;  feet  blackish. 

POLEMISTRIA  VERREAUXi  KLAGESi  (Berlepsch  &  Hartert). 
Lophornis  verreauxi  klagesi  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  X.  1902. 

p.  89  (Type,  ex  Suapure,  Caura  River,  Venezuela). 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  recorded  by  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  from  Suapure  and  from  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

DISCOSURA  LONGICAUDA  (Gmelin). 
Trochilus  longicaudus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  498. 
Discosura  longicauda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  89. 

A  single  female  was  taken  at  Nericagua  in  April,  1899.  Not 
observed  elsewhere. 

CAPRIMULGIDAE— GOATSUCKERS,       NIGHTHAWKS       AND 

WHIP-POOR-WILLS. 

Five  species  are  included  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper,  each 
of  which  is  abundant  throughout  the  region. 

THERMOCHALCIS1    CAYENNENSIS  INSULARIS   (Richmond). 

Caprimulgus  cayennensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  1031. 

Stenopsis  cayennensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  89. 

Stenopsis  cayennensis  insularis  Richmond,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XV: 

1902:  159  (Curagao). 
S\tenopsis\   c\ayennensis]  insularis  Ridgway,  Birds  N.  &  M.  Am.  VI: 

1914:  501  (Rio  Caura,  Venez.). 
Stenopsis  cayennensis  monticola  Chapman,  Bull.  A.  M.  N.  H.  XXXIII : 

1914:  173.     (Maripa,  Rio  Caura,  Ven.) 

Common  in  the  neighborhood  of  Altagracia,  Caicara  and  Quiri- 
bana  de  Caicara.  During  the  day  time  they  frequent  the  thickets  that 
border  the  heavily  wooded  areas,  where  they  may  be  seen  resting  on  the 
ground  (usually)  or  on  low  horizontal  branches. 

A  nest  with  two  fresh  eggs  was  found  at  Caicara,  May  8,  1905. 
The  nest  was  a  slight  hollow  in  the  bare  ground  of  an  open  field.  The 
eggs  are  elliptical-ovate  in  form  and  measure  17.6x24.6  and  17.5x23.7 

'Richmond  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXVIII:  1915:  180. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OP  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  30! 

mm.  They  are  a  pale  vinaceous  buff,  with  two  sets  of  markings, 
one  superimposed  above  the  other.  The  inner  markings  are  a  pale 
lavender  greyish,  the  outer  set  ferruginous.  In  one  of  the  eggs  the 
markings  are  scattered  over  the  entire  surface  and  consist  of  irregular 
lines  and  dashes.  In  the  other  egg  the  markings  are  grouped  chiefly 
about  the  larger  end  and  consist  of  irregular  dots,  spots  and  blotches. 


NYCTIDROMUS  ALBICOLLIS  ALBICOLLIS  (Gmelin). 

Caprimulgus  albicollis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  1030. 
Nyctidromus  albicollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  90. 

Native  name  Aguita  Camino.     Common. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  dusky. 

These  birds  frequent  the  more  thinly  wooded  districts  or  the  edges 
of  thick  forest  region  during  the  daytime,  resting  on  the  ground  among 
the  fallen  leaves,  where  their  colors  blend  with  that  of  the  dead  leaves. 
I  have  never  observed  this  species  perched  anywhere  except  on  the 
ground.  At  night  they  come  out  in  the  open  savannas,  and  are  fre- 
quently seen  about  the  doorways  of  the  houses  as  well  as  out  in  the 
country  districts. 

About  Caicara  fresh  eggs  are  found  from  early  in  March  until  the 
end  of  May.  There  is  no  nest  built  and  the  two  eggs  are  often  deposited 
in  the  most  open,  and  what  would  seem  dangerous,  situations,  on  the 
bare  ground.  Two  eggs  found  on  the  9th  of  March  were  near  the  edge 
of  thick  forest  bordering  the  river  and  almost  directly  in  a  path  much 
used  by  cattle,  pigs,  and  other  animals.  The  eggs  lay  on  a  spot  of 
bare  ground  about  8  cm.  in  diameter  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  dead 
leaves.  Incubation  was  far  advanced  and  only  one  egg  was  preserved. 
It  is  a  pale  vinaceous  buff  in  color  marked  all  over  with  irregular  spots 
and  blotches  of  vinaceous  brown;  ovate  in  form  and  measures  28.5x21 
mm. 

The  male  parent  bird  and  a  set  of  two  fresh  eggs  were  collected 
May  5th.  The  bird,  when  flushed,  feigned  a  broken  wing  to  draw  my 
attention  from  the  eggs.  One  of  these  eggs  is  elliptical-ovate  and  the 
other  between  an  elliptical-ovate  and  an  ovate  in  shape.  The  mark- 
ings are  in  two  shades  of  color,  those  of  a  dark  vinaceous  overlying 
others  of  pale  vinaceous  brown.  They  measure  28.5x21.3  and 
28.4  x  20.5  mm. 


3O2  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

NYCTIPOLUS  NIGRESCENS  (Cab.). 

Caprimulgus  nigrescens  Cabanis  in    Schomburgk    Reisen.    Brit.    Guiana 

III:   (1848):  710   (Brit.  Guiana):  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.   XVII: 

1910:  381   (Caura,  Venezuela). 
Nyctipolus  nigrescens  Ridgway,  Proc.   Biol.   Soc.  Wash.   XXV:    1912: 

p.  198. 

There  are  three  specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collection  from 
the  Caura  River;  two  from  La  Union  and  one  from  Suapure. 

CHORDEILES  ACUTIPENNIS  ACUTIPENNIS  (Boddaert). 

Caprimulgus  acutipennis  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  46. 
Chordeiles  acutipennis  Berlepsch  &  Haftert,  p.  90. 

Not  uncommon.  Taken  at  Altagracia,  Quiribana  de  Caicara  and 
at  Maipures. 

A  nest  of  this  species  was  found  at  Raton  Island  about  midway 
between  Maipures  ajid  the  mouth  of  the  Vichada  River.  The  nest,  or 
better,  nesting  site,  was  a  mere  slight  hollow  near  the  centre  of  one  of 
the  enormous  flat-topped  granite  boulders  that  are  so  common  along  the 
Orinoco.  The  colors  of  the  sitting  bird  blended  almost  perfectly  into 
the  colors  of  the  surroundings  and  I  would  not  have  discovered  her 
had  I  not  flushed  her  by  almost  putting  my  foot  upon  her.  The  color 
of  the  eggs  was  also  decidedly  protective.  The  eggs  were  taken  Feb- 
ruary ist  and  were  entirely  fresh.  They  are  nearly  elliptical-oval,  in 
form,  being  scarcely  noticeably  smaller  a.t  one  end  than  at  the  other. 
The  ground  color  is  a  pale  vinaceous  buff  and  over  the  entire  surface 
are  thickly  scattered  small,  faint,  ill-defined  markings  of  greyish  under- 
lying others  of  pale  raw  umber.  They  measure  24.75  x  z9-25  and  25  x 
19.25  mm. 

NANNOCHORDEILES  PUSILLUS  SEPTENTRIONALIS  Hellm. 

Chordeiles  pusillus  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1861.  p.  182. 
Nannochordeiles  pusillus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  90. 
N[annochordeiles]   pusillus  septentrionalis    Hellm.,    Novit.    Zool.    XV: 

1908:  p.  78  (Type  ex  Maipures). 

Observed  at  Maipures  only,  where  two  specimens  were  collected  on 
my  first  expedition,  one  in  December,  the  other  in  January. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  303 

NYCTIPROGNE  LEUCOFYGIA  (Spix). 

Caprimiilgus  leucopygus  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1823.  p.  3.  PI.  3. 
Nyctiprogne  leucopygia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  90. 

Eye  blackish;  feet  dusky  slate. 

This  species  was  in  the  Delta  Region  about  Las  Barrancas,  also  at 
Ciudad  Bolivar  and  at  Caicara.  During  the  day  time  these  birds  con- 
ceal themselves  in  .the  dense  thickets  bordering  ponds  and  streams, 
where  they  may  be  found  perched  on  horizontal  branches  from  30  to 
100  cm.  from  the  ground.  They  perch  crossways  of  the  branch,  and 
not  infrequently  I  have  seen  from  two  to  eight  or  ten  huddled  close 
beside  one  another  all  facing  in  the  same  direction. 

POD  ACER  NACUNDA  (Vieillot). 

Caprimulgus  nacunda  Vieill.,  Noiiv.  Diet.  x.  p.  240  (1817). 

Two  taken  at  San  Mateo  de  Caicara;  male  May  igth  and  female 
May  25th. 

Eye  dark ;  bill  blackish ;  feet  dusky  grey. 

On  my  previous  visits  to  the  Orinoco  this  species  was  observed  on 
two  occasions  but  no  specimens  were  collected.  It  seems  to  keep  entirely 
to  the  open  savanna  not  even  seeking  the  protection  and  concealment  of 
thickets  when  at  rest  during  the  day. 

In  my  rather  long  experience  as  a  collector  I  have  met  with  very 
few  birds  as  difficult  to  make  up  into  good  skins  as  the  present  species. 

MICROPODID^— THE  SWIFTS. 

Only  three  species  were  included  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
paper,  two  of  which  number  were  collected  on  the  Orinoco  proper  and 
the  third  recorded  from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River.  Additional  col- 
lecting will  almost  certainly  add  to  this  number. 

CLAUDIA  SQUAMATA  (Cassin). 

Cypselus  squamatus  Cass.,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  VI.  1853.  p.  369. 
Claudia  squamata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  91. 

This  species  was  abundant  about  Altagracia  and  at  Caicara  where 
they  were  frequently  observed  coursing  over  the  savannas  during  the 
afternoon,  when  the  -sun  was  hottest.  They  were  noted  in  parties  of 
from  twenty  to  fifty. 


304  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

CHAETURA  SPINICAUDA  (Temminck). 

Cypselus  spinicaudus  Temm.,  Tabl.  Meth.  in  PI.  Col.  I.  1839.  p.  57. 
Chaetura  spinicauda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  91. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  by  the  writer,  but  recorded  by  Ber- 
lepsch and  Hartert  from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

CHAETURA  ANDREI  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Chaetura  andrei  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  91  (Type, 
$  ,  ex  Caicara,  Orinoco  River,  Venezuela.    Cherrie  Coll.  No.  10534.) 
I  arrived  at  Altagracia  the  first  of  November,  but  no  specimens  of 
this  swift  were  observed  until  the  2nd  of  February  following;  after  that 
date  they  were  seen  but  owing  to  their  habit  of  flying  high  up,  speci- 
mens were  secured  with  the  greatest  difficulty.     Noted  as  not  uncommon 
at  Caicara  during  March  and  April. 

PICIDAE— THE  WOODPECKERS. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper  includes  seventeen  species,  fifteen 
of  which  number  were  observed  and  collected  by  the  writer  on  the 
Orinoco  proper,  the  other  two  species  included  in  that  list  came  from 
points  on  the  Caura  River. 

KEY  TO  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  PICIDAE. 

a.     Tail-feathers  stiff  and  pointed. 

6.     Middle  of  belly  bright  red  or  reddish. 
c.     Back  barred  black  and  white. 

d.     Rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  white,  not  barred Cenlurus  subelegans. 

d'.    Rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  white,  barred  like  back Cenlurus  terricolor. 

c'.     Back  black,  not  barred. 

d.     With  a  white  superciliary  stripe  and  yellow  nuchal  band Tripsurus  cruentalus. 

d'.   Without  superciliary  stripe  or  yellow  nuchal  band Tripsurus  rubrifrons. 

b'.    Middle  of  belly  not  red  or  reddish. 

c.     Under-parts  barred  or  spotted  with  black  or  blackish. 

d.     Chin,  throat  and  sides  of  head  yellow.     (In  males  a  short,  red 

malar  streak) Chloronerpes  flavigula. 

d'.    Chin,  throat  and  sides  of  head  not  uniform  yellow. 

e.     Under-parts  spotted  with  black Chrysoptilus  punctigula  punc- 

tipectus. 

e'.    Under-parts  barred  with  black. 
/.     General  color  of  upper-parts  black. 

g.     Outer  hind  toe  longer  than  outer  front  toe   (centre  of 

back  largely  white) Scapaneus  melanoleucos. 

g  .    Outer  hind  toe  not  longer  than  outer  front  toe  (centre  of 

back  black  and  spaculars  white) Ceophloerus  lineatus. 

f .    General  color  of  upper- parts  olive  or  yellowish  green. 
g.     Wing-quills  barred  with  buffy  or  white  on  inner  webs. 
h.     Wing-coverts  with  buffy  or  white  spots. 

i.     Upper  back  slightly  tinged  with  reddish Veniliornis  passerinus. 

i' .    Back  golden  olive  without  reddish  tinge Veniliornis  cassini. 

h'.    Wing-coverts  without  spots  but  with  yellowish  shaft 
lines  showing  through  the  reddish  tips    (obsolete   in 

some) Veniliornis  orenocensis. 

g'.   Wing-Quills  not  barred  on  inner  webs Chloronerpes  rubiginosus. l 


'Has  been  recorded  from  points  in  the  state  of  Bermudez,  Venezuela  and  from  Brit.  Guiana. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  305 

c' '.    Under-parts  not  barred  or  spotted  with  black. 

d.     General  color  above  and  below  yellowish  buff CrocomorPhus  Aavus 

d'.    General  color  above  not  yellowish  buff. 
e.     Back  black. 
/.     Basal  half  or  more  of  primaries  (except  the  two  outermost) 

hazel  brown Scapaneus  IracheloDvrus 

f.   Outer  webs  of  primaries  black  (or  at  least  with  broad  black 

edges) Scapaneus  rubricollis. 

e  .    Back  chestnut  brown. 
/.     General  color  of  under  parts  brown,  darker  than  back. 

g.     Crest  dark  chestnut,  darker  than  back Celeus  jumana. 

g  .    Crest  tawny  or  cinnamon  brown Celeus  elegans  hellmayri. 

f .    Lower  throat  and  breast  black,  remaining  under  parts  dark 

buff Cerchneipicus  lorquatus. 

a'.    Tail-feathers  soft  (Picumnus). 
b.     Under-parts  barred  with  black. 

c.     Feathers  of  crown  tipped  with  red  or  yellow. 

d.     Feathers  of  crown  tipped  with  red <?Picumnus  undulatus. 

d  .    Feathers  of  crown  tipped  with  yellow o" Picumnus  stellae. 

c'.    Feathers  of  crown  with  white  or  pale  yellowish  tips 9  Picumnus  slellae. 

9  Picumnus  undulatus. 
b  .  Under-parts  not  barred Picumnus  leucogaster. 

CHLORONERPES  FLAVIGULA  (Boddaert). 
Picus  ftavigula  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  49. 
Chloronerpes  flavigula  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  91. 

Observed  only  in  the  heavily  wooded  region,  beyond  the  falls  of 
Atures.  Miller  and  Iglseder  collected  a  specimen  at  the  Foot  of  Mount 
Duida  (Am.  Mus.  Collection). 

CHRYSOPTILUS  PUNCTIGULA  PUNCTIPECTUS  Cabanis  &  Heine. 
Chrysoptilus  punctipectus  Cab.  &  Hein.,  Mus.  Hein.  IV.  1863.  p.  163. 
Chrysoptilus  punctigulus  guttatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  92. 

Common  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  the  mouth  of  the  Apure.  Found 
more  commonly  in  the  scattering  clumps'  of  trees  on  the  savannas  than 
in  the  heavy  timber  along  the  river. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  blackish  slate ;  feet  olive  green. 

CENTURUS  SUBELEGANS  SUBELEGANS  Bonaparte. 
Centurus   subelegans   Bonaparte,    P.    Z.    S.    1837:    p.    109    ("Mexico"- 

Venezuela,  see  Bonaparte  Consp.  Av.  i:  1850:  119). 

Common  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  at  Caicara.  Like  the  preceding 
species  this  is  rarely  met  with  in  heavily  wooded  districts. 

Eye  mummy  brown;  bill  black;  feet  dusky  slate. 

CENTURUS  TERRICOLOR  Berlepsch. 
Centurus  terricolor  Berl.,  Ibis,  1880.  p.  130. 
Melanerpes  terricolor  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  92. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  include  all  the  specimens  of  Centurus  that 
I  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  as  terricolor,  but  the  specimens  secured  on 


306  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

later  expeditions  have  all  been  subelegans!  None  have  been  seen  having 
the  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  barred — the  distinguishing  character  of 
terricolor.  I  am  inclined  to  agree  with  Richmond1  that  terricolor  of 
Berlepsch  is  the  same  as  subelegans  of  Bonaparte. 

TRIPSURUS  CRUENTATUS    (Boddaert). 
Picus  cruentatus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  'p.  43. 
Melanerpes  cruentatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  92. 

Rare.    Two  collected  at  Munduapo  in  February  (Berl.  &  Hart.  1.  c.). 

Eye  lemon  yellow,  eye-lids  black,  bare  skin  about  eyes  straw  yel- 
low; bill  slate  black;  feet  plumbeous  pea  green. 

TRIPSURUS  RUBRIFRONS  (Spix). 

Picus  rubrifrons  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  I:  (1824)  :  p.  61  ("in  sylvis  Parae"). 
Melanerpes  cruentatus  Berl.  &  Hart.,  Novit.  Zool.  IX :  1902 :  92  in  part 

(Suapure). 
T[ripsurus]  rubrifrons  Ridgway,  Birds  of  N.  &  M.  America  VI:  1914: 

118. 

In  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper,  birds  from  Suapure  (Caura 
River)  are  entered  as  cruentatus.  There  are,  however,  in  the  American 
Museum  collections,  six  Caura  River  specimens  (one  male  from  Suapure 
and  four  females  and  one  male  from  La  Union)  that  are  certainly 
rubrifrons.  The  Suapure  male  shows  a  distinct,  although  imperfect, 
poStocular  superciliary  stripe;  it  is  entirely  absent  in  the  four  females 
and  male  from  La  Union :  and  none  of  the  specimens  show  a-  trace  of 
the  conspicuous  yellow  nuchal  band  of  cruentatus. 

VENILIORNIS  CASSINI  (Malherbe). 

Mesopicus  cassini  Malh.,  Picidae,  II.  1862.  p.  55.  PI.  68,  figs.  2.  3. 
Veniliornis  cassini  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  93. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco  proper  but  recorded  by  Berlepsch 
and  Hartert  from  Suapure  and  from  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

VENILIORNIS  ORENOCENSIS  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

Veniliornis  orenocensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  93. 
(Type,  ex  "regione  fluminis  Orinoco") ;  I  would  substitute  Mundu- 
apo, Orinoco  River. 

ip.U.S.N.M.  XVIII:  1895:  p.  667. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 


307 


Although  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  give  the  habitat  of  this  species  as 
covering  the.  region  from  Angostura  (Ciudad  Bolivar)  to  Munduapo, 
inclusive,  it  was  not  observed  below  the  falls  of  Attires  by  the  writer, 
its  place  being  taken  on  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river — between  the 
mouth  of  the  -Meta  River  and  Ciudad  Bolivar — by  the  following  species. 

Eye  vandyke  brown;  bill  above  black,  below  slate  grey;  feet  olive 
plumbeous. 

In  the  American  Museum  are  two  specimens  from  Boca  de  Sina, 
Cunucunuma  River,  Upper  Orinoco. 

VENILIORNIS  PASSERINUS  (Linnaeus). 
Picus  passerinus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  174. 
Veniliornis  passerinus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  93  (in  part). 

Common  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  to  Caicara  and  beyond  as  far  as 
the  mouth  of  the  Meta. 

Eye  dark  sepia  brown ;  bill  black;  feet  plumbeous  olive. 

CELEUS  ELEGANS  HELLMAYRI  Berlepsch. 
Celeus  elegans  hellmayri  Berlepsch,  Novit.  Zool.  XV:  1908:  272  (Brit. 

Guiana;  Venezuela). 
Celeus  elegans  reichenbachi  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII:   1906:  p.  40 

(Guanoco,  Orinoco  Delta,  Venezuela). 

There  is  a  specimen,  an  adult  female,  in  the  American  Museum  col- 
lection, that  was  taken  by  Klages  at  La  Union,  Caura  River,  Oct.  7, 
1901. 

The  absence  of  pale  shaft-streaks  or  spots  on  the  feathers  of  the 
back  and  upper  wing-coverts  (as  pointed  out  by  Hellmayr)  serves  to 
distinguish  this  race  from  elegans  elegans  and  elegans  leotaudi. 

CELEUS  JUMANA  (Spix). 

Picus  jumana  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  I.  1824.  p.  57.  PI.  47,  figs.  I    $  ,  2   9  . 
Celeus  jumana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  94. 

Common  on  the  upper  river  from  Perico  onwards,  as  far  as  I  col- 
lected. 

CELEUS  GRAMMICUS  (Malherbe). 

Picus  grammicus  Malh.,  Mem.  Soc.  Roy.  Liege,  1845.  p.  69. 
Celeus  grammicus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  94. 

Not  common.     Taken  onlv  at  Munduapo  and  Nericagua. 


308  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

CERCHNEIPICUS  TORQUATUS   (Boddaert). 
Picus  torquatus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  52. 
Cerchneipicus  torquatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  94. 

Not  observed  by  the  writer.  Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
from  Suapure  and  from  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River,  and  there  are 
two  specimens  from  La  Union  in  the  American  Museum  collection. 

CROCOMORPHUS  PLAVUS  (Mull.). 
Picus  flavus  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  91. 
Crocomorphus  flavus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  94. 

Not  observed  below  Altagracia  but  collected  there,  at  Caicara,  and 
up  as  far  as  the  falls  of  Maipures. 

Eye  carmine  red;  bill  chrome  yellow  shading  into  sulphur  yellow  at 
the  base  of  the  mandible;  feet  dark  pea  green. 

This  species  I  did  not  see  in  the  sparsely  wooded  savanna  districts. 
It  kept  to  the  heavier  forests  along  the  Orinoco.  The  call  notes  of 
this  woodpecker  are  somewhat  like  those  of  our  Great-crested  Fly- 
catcher— not  what  one  expects  from  a  woodpecker.  They  are  usually 
seen  in  pairs  or  family  parties  of  two  adults  and  three  or  four  imma- 
ture birds.  Specimens  that  I  have  collected  have  had  the  feet  invariably 
covered  with  a  mass  of  small  black  ants  (dead)  held  by  some  sticky  sub- 
stance, and  the  birds  themselves  have  a  strong  odor  of  formic  acid. 

SCAPANEUS  RUBRICOLLIS  (Boddaert). 
Picus  rubricollis  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  37. 
Campephilus  rubricollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  95. 

Rare,  seen  only  in  the  heavily  wooded  region  above  the  falls.  Two 
specimens  were  collected  at  Munduapo. 

Eye  light  lemon  yellow ;  bill  pale  horn  color,  ridge  of  culmen  dusky 
and  base  of  mandible  shaded  with  greenish;  feet  dark  sage  green. 

SCAPANEUS  MELANOLEUCOS  (Gmelin). 
Picus  melanoleucos  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  462. 
Campephilus  melanoleucus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  95. 

Native  name  Carplniero  Soldado.  Not  rare,  but  very  wary  and 
somewhat  difficult  to  collect.  Keeps  to  heavily  timbered  districts. 
Noted  and  specimens  collected  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  but  rarely  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Apure.  Seen  on  the  upper  river  as  far  as  I  extended 
my  explorations. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  309 

CEOPHLOEUS  UNEATUS  (Linnaeus). 
Picus  lineatus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12,  1766.  p.  174. 
Ceophlocus  lineatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  95. 

This,  like  the  preceding  species,  is  known  as  Carpintero  Soldado 
Not  uncommon  on  the  middle  Orinoco  from  some  distance  below 
Ciudad  Bolivar  to  the  falls  of  Atures. 

Eye  straw  yellow ;  bill  dusky  slate  above,  whitish  below ;.  feet 
plumbeous. 

PICUMNUS  LEUCOGASTER  Pelzeln. 
Picumnus  leucogaster  Pelz.,  Orn.  Bras.  1869.  pp.  241,  335;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  95. 

Not  common.  This  is  the  only  species  of  Picumnus  seen  on  the 
middle  Orinoco.  Specimens  were  collected  at  Altagracia  and  Caicara. 

PICUMNUS  UNDULATUS  Hargitt. 
Picumnus  undulatus  Hargitt,  Ibis  1889.  p.  354;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p. 

95- 

Rare  on  the  Orinoco  where  two  specimens  only  were  collected 
by  the  writer  on  the  upper  river,  one  at  Perico  in  September  and  the 
other  at  Nericagua  in  March. 

Not  uncommon  on  the  Caura  River,  as  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
record  specimens  from  La  Union,  Suapure,  La  Pricion  and  Nicare. 

PICUMNUS  STELLAE1  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 
Picumnus  stellae   Berlepsch  &   Hartert,   Novit.   Zool.   IX.    1902.   p.  96 

(Type,    9    ex  Maipures,  Orinoco  River). 

This  was  the  common  form  of  Picumnus  on  the  upper  river.  It 
was  not  observed  below  the  falls  of  Atures. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  black,  basal  half  of  mandible  slate  grey;  feet 
plumbeous. 

CUCULIDAE— THE  CUCKOOS. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  include  ten  species  in  their  list.  Nine  of 
the  ten  were  collected  on  the  Orinoco  proper  by  the  writer,  and  one 
(Piaya  melanogastra},  noted  only  from  its  tributary,  the  Caura  River. 

'This  species  was  named  after  Mrs.  Cherrie,  who  accompanied  me  on  the  first  Orinoco  expedition, 
sharing  the  hardships  and  pleasures  of  camp  life,— ignoring  the  former  and  adding  much  to  the  latter. 


310  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

I  am  now  able  to  add  to  the  list  C.  euleri — very  distinct  from  C.  ameri- 
canus,  but  sometimes  confused  with  that  species. 

The  species  of  Piaya  and  of  Crotophaga  and  Tapera  naevla  are,  I 
believe,  resident  in  all  localities  where  found,  while  the  species  of  Coc- 
cyzus are  transient,  or  at  best,  not  permanent  residents  in  the  Orinoco 
region  and  ark  known  collectively  as  Crecienteros,  a  vernacular  name 
alluding  to  the  fact  that  they  appear  at  the  season  of  the  annual  rise  of 
the  Orinoco. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OE  CUCULIDAE. 

a.     Maxilla  very  deep,  much  compressed;  general  color  of  plumage  above 

and  below  black. 

b.     Sides  of  maxilla  smooth  with  neither  longitudinal  grooves  nor  ridges  .     Crotophaga  ani. 
V .    Sides  of  maxilla  ridged  or  grooved  longitudinally. 

c.     Larger,  wing  more  than  17  cm.;  upper  parts  of  body  glossed  with 

iridescent  steel  blue Crotophaga  major. 

c'.    Smaller,   wing   less   than    17    cm.;  body  glossed  with  iridescent 

purplish Crotophaga  sulcirostris. 

a'.    Maxilla  not  abnormally  deep  and  compressed,  and  general  color  of 

plumage  not  black. 
b.     General  color  of  upper-parts  red-brown. 

c.     Top  of  head  grey,  in  sharp  contrast  with  red-brown  back Piaya  melanogastra. 

c'.    Head  not  grey,  nearly  uniform  with  back. 

d.     Smaller,  total  length  less  than  30  cm Piaya  rutila  orinocensis. 

d'.    Larger,  total  length  more  than  30  cm. 

e.     Outer  webs  of  second  and  third  pairs  of  rectrices  largely  rufous 
(except  for  the  blackish  subapical  band,  about  25  mm.  in 

width) Piaya  cayana  insulana. 

e'.    Outer  webs  of  second  and  third  pairs  of  rectrices  not  rufous. 
/.     Tail-feathers  underneath  nearly  uniform  blackish,  with  little 
or  no  trace  of  rusty  shading,  and  blackish  subterminal  band 

almost  obsolete Piaya  cayana  cayana, 

f.    Tail  underneath  blackish  but  with  a  distinct  rusty  shading, 

and  narrow  subapical  band  about  10  mm.  in  width Piaya  cayana  columbiana. 

b'.    General  color  of  upper-parts  not  red-brown. 

c.  -  Very  large,  tail  more  than  20  cm.;  none    of    the    rectrices    white 

tipped. 
d.     Chin  and  upper  throat  dusky  brownish,  merging  into  black  on 

lower  throat;  breast  and  belly  dusky  mouse-gray Neomorphus  nigrogularis. 

d'.    Chin  and  upper  throat  smoke-gray,  followed  by  a  band  across 
the  lower  throat  and  neck  where  the  feathers  have  black  tips 
(narrow  anteriorly  but  occupying  half  or  more  of  feather  posteri- 
orly) ;  breast  and  belly  drab  gray ;  under  tail-coverts  dusky  brown     Neomorphus  rufipennis. 
c'.    Smaller,  tail  less  than  20  cm.;  rectrices  (except  intermediae)  white 
tipped. 

d.     Crested ;  upper-parts  more  or  less  streaked  with  blackish Tapera  naevia. 

d'.    Not  crested,  and  upper-parts  not  streaked. 

e.     Chin  and  throat  hazel  brown,  in  sharp  contrast  with  remaining 

lower  parts Micrococcyx  pumilus. 

e'.    Color  of  chin  and  throat  not  in  sharp  contrast  with  remaining 

lower  parts. 

/.     Mandible  black;  lower  parts  strongly  suffused  with  buff —      Coccyzus  melacoryphus. 
/'.    Mandible  yellowish  or  orange  with  blackish  tip;  under  parts 

not  strongly  buff. 
g.     Much  rufous  on  both  outer  and  inner  webs  of  inner 

primaries Coccyzus  americanus. 

g'.    Without  rufous  on  wing  quills Coccyzus  euleri. 

COCCYZUS  AMERICANUS  (Linnaeus). 
Cuculus  americanus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  in. 
Coccysus  americanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  96. 

Two  of  the  cuckoos  sent  to  the  Tring  Museum  were  identified  by 
Messrs.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert,  as  C.  americanus;  one,  a  female,  was 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  3!! 

collected  at  Altagracia  in  November,  and  a  male  was  taken  at  Neri- 
cagua,  on  the  upper  river,  in  April. 

COCCYZUS  EULERI  Cabanis. 
Coccyzus  euleri  Cabanis,  Journ.  f.  Orn.  1873.  p.  73.  (ex  Cantagallo). 

Two  specimens  were  taken,  both  females,  that  differed  slightly  in 
the  colors  of  the  bill,  eye-lids,  etc.  The  first,  collected  at  Ciudad 
Bolivar,  April  15,  1905  (No.  13443  Geo.  K.  Cherrie  Coll.)  had  the  eye 
seal  brown,  eye-lids  lemon  yellow;  bill  above  black  with  basal  cutting 
edges  olive  yellow,  mandible  chrome  yellow  with  blackish  tip;  feet 
dusky  slate  grey. 

The  second  collected  at  Caicara,  June  10,  1905  (No.  13856  Geo. 
K.  Cherrie  Coll.)  had  the  eye  seal  brown,  eye-lids  blackish;  maxilla,  and 
extreme  tip  of  mandible  black,  with  basal  cutting  edges  of  maxilla,  to  a 
line  bordering  the  lower  edge  of  the  nostrils  and  extending  nearly  one- 
half  way  to  the  tip,  and  mandible  orange-buff;  feet  dusky  slate  grey. 

The  ovaries  of  the  latter  bird  were  much  enlarged,  indicating  the 
near  approach  of  the  breeding  season.  My  attention  was  drawn  to 
this  bird  by  hearing  the  familiar  "rain  crow's"  note.  It  is  in  what  I 
believe  to  be  full  nuptial  plumage — a  delicate  pearl  grey  on  breast, 
sides  and  flanks,  shading  to  an  almost  silvery  white  on  the  belly. 

C.  euleri  is  at  once  distinguished  from  C.  americanus  by  the 
entire  absence  of  rufous  on  both  the  outer  and  inner  webs  of  the  wing 
quills  and  the  darker  general  color  above.  This  species  has  not  been 
previously  recorded  from  Venezuela. 

COCCYZUS  MELACORYPHUS  Vieillot. 
Coccysus  melacoryphus  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VIII.  1817.  p.  271 ;  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  97. 

On  my  first  expedition  this  species  was  observed  only  once,  a 
single  specimen  having  been  collected  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  April 
28,  1898.  It  was  not  seen  in  1905,  but  in  1907  two  were  collected  at 
Caicara  in  June ;  and  at  Las  Barrancas  (in  the  Delta  region)  it  was 
common  during  July. 

One  of  the  specimens  collected  at  Las  Barrancas  seems  some- 
what abnormally  colored,  or  may  possibly  represent  another  race. 
Below,  it  is  exactly  similar  to  typical  examples  of  C.  melacoryphus; 
above,  the  back  is  also  similar,  but  the  wings  are  decidedly  different, 
the  quills  being  dull  rufous  brownish  on  both  webs,  except  the  tips 


312  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

which  are  dusky.  The  primary-coverts  are  also  strongly  dull  rufous 
brownish  as  are  also  the  outer  webs  and  tips  of  the  greater  wing- 
coverts.  The  pattern  of  coloration  is  similar  to  that  of  the  wings  of 
the  yellow -billed  cuckoo  (C.  americanus}.  It  is  possible  this  rufous 
shading  is  characteristic  of  immature  birds. 

MICROCOCCYX  PUMILUS  (Strickland). 

Coccyzus  pumilus  Strickl.,  Contrib.  Orn.  1852.  p.'  28.  PI.  82 ;  Berlepsch 
&  Hartert,  p.  97. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  is  a  specimen  collected  by 
Klages  at  Maripa  on  the  Caura.  The  forehead,  crown  and  occiput  are 
gull  gray;  the  mantle  and  lower  back  mouse  gray;  the  two  colors  blend- 
ing insensibly  into  one  another  at  the  base  of  the  occiput.  The  wings 
and  tail  are  browner;  the  primaries  blackish,  especially  toward  the  tip; 
the  ends  of  the  rectrices  are  black,  narrowly  tipped  with  white ;  sides  of 
head,  chin  and  throat  hazel  brown;  breast  and  belly  pale  buffy;  flanks, 
thighs  and  under  wing-  and  tail-coverts  buff;  under  surface  of  tail  gray, 
the  inner  webs  of  the  rectrices  buffbasally.  Wing  103  ;  tail  105  ;  bill  17  mm. 

Rare.  An  adult  male  was  taken,  on  my  first  expedition,  at  Quiri- 
bana  de  Caicara,  April  29,  1905,  and  a  second  adult  male  at  Caicara, 
May  2,  1905. 

Eye  carmine,  eye-lids  carmine;  bill  black;  feet  slate  gray. 

PlAYA  MELANOGASTRA    (Vieillot). 

Cuculus  melanogaster  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VIII.  1817.  p.  236. 
Piaya  melanogastra  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  97. 

Not  observed  by  the  writer  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  but  included  in 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  list  based  on  a  single  specimen  collected  by 
Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River.  There  is  now  a  specimen  in 
the  American  Museum  collection  taken  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Duida. 

PIAYA  CAYANA  CAYANA  Linnaeus. 
Cuculus  cayanus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  170. 
Piaya  cayana  guianensis   Berlepsch,    Ibis.    1884.    p.   435.    (Angostura)  ; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  97,  part  (Suapure  and  La  Pricion,  Caura 

River,  Venez.)  ;  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  43. 
Piaya    cayana    cayana    Hellmayr,    Novit.    Zool.    XIV.     1907.    p.    35; 

Stone,  Proc.  Phila.  Acad.  Sci.  LX.  1908.  pp.  497-8  (Suapure). 

A    study    of    the    specimens    in    this    museum    from    the    Orinoco 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  313 

region,  together  with  those  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Mu- 
seum, convinces  me  that  there  are  only  two  ways  in  which  they  can 
be  treated  logically.  Either  all  must  be  lumped  together  under  a 
single  name  (possibly  P.  c.  columbiana)  ;  or,  three  or  four  distinct 
races  must  be  recognized  as  inhabiting  that  region. 

I  have  adopted  the  latter  course — my  conclusions,  therefore,  being 
quite  at  variance  with  those  of  the  two  authors1  who  have  most 
recently  studied  the  P.  cayana  group. 

The  native  name  of  the  birds  of  this  group  is  Piscua.  They 
frequent  the  less  heavily  wooded  districts. 

Birds  from  the  Caura  River  (American  Museum  collection),  a 
single  example  from  the  San  Feliz  River  near  its  junction  with  the 
Cuchivero  River,  and  British  Guiana  specimens  are  readily  separable 
from  the  middle  Orinoco  birds  by  the  darker  ash  grey  of  the  breast 
and  more  sooty  blackish  or  greyish  of  the  under  tail-coverts.  Also 
the  tail-feathers  underneath  are  uniformly  blackish  with  little  or  no 
trace  of  rusty  shading,  and  the  subterminal  bar  practically  obsolete. 
Above,  these  birds  are  uniformly  darker,  more  inclined  to  bay — with 
less  ferruginous. 

PlAYA    CAYANA    COLUMBIANA    (Cabanis). 

Pyrrhocorax  columbianus  Cabanis,  Journ.  f.  Orn.  1862.  p.  70  (Car- 
tagena). 

Piaya  cayana  guianensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  97,  part.  (Points  on 
the  Orinoco ;  Altagracia,  Caicara,  Ciudad  Bolivar)  ;  Hellmayr,  ib. 
XIII.  1907.  p.  44.  (Orinoco  points.) 

Piaya  cayana  cayana  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIV.   1907.  p.  35    (Ori- 
noco valley). 
The  birds  from  the  middle  Orinoco  region — from  Ciudad  Bolivar 

(where  P.  c.  cayana  is  also  found)  up  at  least  as  far  as  the  mouth  of 

the  Meta  River — seem  to  me  referable  to  this  race. 

While    closely    related    to    typical    cayana,     they    average    much 

lighter  in  color,  as  pointed  out  in  my  remarks  under  that  race;  and 

the    rusty    shading   of    the    under    side   of   the    tail-feathers   seems    to 

afford  a  ready  means  of  separating  the  two  races. 

Eye  dark  lake  red,  bare  skin  about  eye  carmine;  bill  citron  yellow 

distally  shading  to  an  apple  green  at  base ;  feet  plumbeous. 

iHellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  pp.  43-4;  i*.  XIV  1907.  35-  Stone  <A  Review  of  the  Genus 
Piaya  Lesson>.  Proc.  Phila.  Acad.  Sci.  LX.  1908  (published  January.  1909).  pp.  493-SOi. 


314  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

The  specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collection  from  Boca  de 
Sina,  Cunucunuma  River  (Upper  Orinoco)  differ  from  examples  from 
the  middle  Orinoco  in  the  almost  total  absence  of  the  rusty  shading  of 
the  under  side  of  the  tail-feathers,  as  in  c.  cayana.,  but  their  much 
darker,  more  intense  bay  (with  a  distinct  purplish  sheen  in  certain 
lights)  rather  than  chestnut  seems  to  separate  them  from  that  race.  It 
is  possible  these  birds  are  representatives  of  the  race  (c.  venesuelensis) 
described  by  Cory  (Orn.  Series  Field  Mus.  Pub.  i;  May,  1913:  p.  284). 
I  feel  that  a  series  from  the  Upper  Orinoco  would  show  the  birds  from 
that  region  to  be  a  distinct  race. 

PIAYA  CAYANA  INSULANA  Hellmayr. 

Piaya  cayana  insulana  Hellmayr,  Novit.  Zool.  XIII.  1906.  p.  43  (Type, 

ex  Chaguaramas,  Trinidad). 

Hitherto  this  race  has  been  known  from  Trinidad  only,  but  speci- 
mens collected  at  Las  Barrancas  (delta  region)  and  compared  with 
Trinidad  examples  show  them  to  be  identical. 

Birds  of  this  race  are  closely  related  to  those  from  the  middle 
Orinoco,  but  are  brighter  and  lighter  cinnamon-rufous,  or  ferruginous 
above  (very  much  paler  than  Guiana  birds)  ;  and  as  pointed  out  by 
their  describer,  they  have  the  outer  webs  of  the  second  and  third 
rectrix  entirely  rufous,  except  for  the  blackish  subapical  band.  The 
sub-terminal  black  bars  on  the  rectrices  are  broader  and  more  sharply 
defined  than  in  Guiana  or  Orinoco  birds,  averaging  25  mm.  while  in 
the  birds  of  the  middle  Orinoco  the  average  does  not  exceed  10  mm. 

A  pair  were  observed  carrying  nesting  material  August  1st. 

PIAYA  RUTILA  ORINOCENSIS  Cherrie. 
Piaya  rutila  orinocensis  Cherrie,  Bui.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  XXXV,  1916, 

P-  393- 
Piaya  rutila  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  97. 

Not  common,  but  noted  at  Las  Barrancas  (Delta  region),  Ciuclad 
Bolivar,  Altagracia  and  up  as  far  as  Maipures. 

Eye  vermillion  red ;  bill  sulphur  yellow ;  feet  dusky  plumbeous  olive. 

TAPERA  NAEVIA  (Linnaeus). 

Cuculus  naevius  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1776.  p.  170. 
Diplopterus  naevius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  98. 

Not    common.     Native    name    Pavita.     While    nowhere     common 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  315 

this  species  was  observed  everywhere  from  Las  Barrancas  and  Ciuclad 
Bolivar  as  far  as  I  worked  on  the  upper  river. 

Adult  female,  eye  clay  color;  bill,  ridge  of  culmen  clove  brown, 
cutting  edge  of  maxilla  cinnamon  brown,  mandible  brown. 

NEOMORPHUS  RUFIPENNIS  (Gray). 
Cultrides  rufipennis  Gray,  P.  Z.  S.  1849:  p.  63.  pi.  10  (Guiana). 

Two  specimens  from  the  Caura  River  are  in  the  American  Museum 
Collection. 

NEOMORPHUS  NIGROGULARIS  Chapman. 

Neomorphus   nigrogularis   Chapman,    Bull.    Am.    Nat.    Hist.    XXXIII: 
1914:  p.  194  (Foot  of  Mt.  Duida,  Venezuela). 
Type  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Museum. 

CROTOPHAGA,  ANI  Linnaeus. 
Crotophaga  ani  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  105 ;  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884. 

p.  435  (Angostura)  ;  Berlepsch"  &  Hartert,  p.  98. 

Native  name  Tio  Louis.  Common  along  the  middle  stretches  of 
the  river  from  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  Caicara  beyond  the  falls  of  Mai- 
pures  as  far  as  I  extended  my  explorations. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  and  feet  black. 

CROTOPHAGA  SULCIROSTRIS  Swainson. 
Crotophaga  sulcirostris  Swainson,  Philos.  Mag.  New  &    Unit.    Ser.    I: 

(1827)  :  440  (Mexico)  :  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  98. 

The  three  species  of  Crotophaga  seem  to  be  found  throughout  the 
Orinoco  region.  Of  the  two  smaller  forms  C.  ani  is  the  more  abun- 
dant. I  did  not  observe  sulcirostris  above  the  falls,  but  Miller  collected 
a  specimen  for  the  American  Museum  at  Maipures. 

CROTOPHAGA  MAJOR  Gmelin. 
Crotophaga  major  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.   10.   1788.  p.  363;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  98. 

Native  name  Hervidor  Oriquelo.  Not  observed  below  Ciudad 
Bolivar,  but  noted  at  almost  all  points  visited  beyond.  This  species 
frequents  the  tangled  thickets  and  densely  wooded  areas  that  cover 
or  border  swamps,  ponds  or  water  courses.  Like  other  members  of 
the  genus  they  are  social,  going  about  in  small  flocks  of  from  six  or 
eight  to  twenty  or  thirty. 


316  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

The  native  name  Hervidor  is  derived  from  the  Spanish  verb  hervir 
— to  boil — doubtless  in  allusion  to  the  peculiar  vocal  performance 
which  certainly  is  much  like  the  sound  of  bubbling,  boiling  water. 

These  cuckoos  are  occasionally  seen  in  a  state  of  semi-domesti- 
cation about  the  native  houses. 

CAPITOXIDAE— THE  BARBETS  OR  THICKHEADS. 
Two  races  of  a  single  species  are  known  from  the  Orinoco  region. 

CAPITO  AURATUS  INTERMEDIUS  Berlepscli  &  Hartert. 
Capita  auratus  intermedius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902. 

p.  98.     (Type,  ex  Nericagua,  upper  Orinoco,  Venez.). 

Only  two  specimens,  a  male  and  a  female,  were  collected  on  my 
first  expedition,  at  Nericagua,  on  the  upper  Orinoco. 

There  is  a  series  in  the  American  Museum  collection  from  Boca  de 
Sina,  Cunucunuma  River  (upper  Orinoco),  that  doubtless  should  be  re- 
ferred to  this  race.  They  show,  however,  a  considerable  orange  wash 
on  the  lower  breast  and  abdomen,  a  character  supposed  to  be  distinctive 
of  a.  aurantiicinctus,  and  are  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  a  couple 
or  Caura  River  specimens.  I  am  consequently  doubtful  if  intermedius 
is  a  valid  race. 

CAPITO  AURATUS  AURANTIICINCTUS  Dalmas. 
Capita  aurantiicinctus  Dalmas,  Bull.   Soc.  Zool.  France.     1900.   p.    178 

("Dans  le  bassin  de  la  riviere  Caura"). 
Capita  auratus  aurantiicmctus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  99. 

In  the  Am.  Museum  collection  are  two  specimens  from  La  Union 
(Caura  River).  One  shows  a  considerable  amount  of  the  orange  color  on 
the  middle  of  the  breast  that  is  supposed  to  be  distinctive  of  the  race. 

First  described  and  recorded  from  the  Caura  River  by  Dalmas. 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a  specimen  collected  by  Andre  at  Nicare 
on  the  same  river. 

RAMPHASTIDAE— THE  TOUCANS. 

Nine  species  are  embraced  in  the  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper,  but 
only  five  were  collected  by  the  writer  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  the  remain- 
ing four  having  been  collected  by  either  Klages  or  Andre  at  points  on 
the  Caura  River.  None  were  seen  until  I  arrived  in  the  heavily  forested 
regions  beyond  the  falls  of  Maipures. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OP  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  317 

The  name  Piapoco  is  applied  to  the  toucans  of  the  region  collec- 
tively. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  RHAMPHASTIDAE. 

a.     Nostrils  opening  behind  the  casque  (Ramphastos) . 

b.     Upper  tail-coverts  lemon  yellow,  general  color  of  bill  reddish Ramphastos  monilis. 

b'.    Upper  tail-coverts  red  (scarlet)  or  orange  or  in  combination;  general 
color  of  bill  blackish. 

c.     Upper  tail-coverts  uniform  scarlet Ramphastos  vitellinus. 

c  .    Upper  tail-coverts  not  uniform  scarlet. 

d.  Throat  white,  blending  into  yellow,  vary  ing  in  shade  from  lemon 
to  orange,  followed  by  a  scarlet  band,  the  scarlet  extending 

centrally  back  onto  the  breast Ramphastos  osculans. 

d  .    Throat  and  neck  white  or  white  with  lemon  yellow  tinge  on  neck. 
e.     Smaller,  bill  less  than  17  cm.     Throat  only  slightly  if  at  all 

tinged  with  lemon  yellow Ramphastos  culminatus. 

e  .    Larger,  bill  more  than  17  cm.     Throat  strongly  tinged  with 

lemon  yellow Ramphastos  cuvieri  inca. 

a'.    Nostrils  rounded,  opening  upward  at  the  edge  of  the  casque.     The 
culminal  ridge  extending  back  beyond  the  nostrils  (Pleroglossus.) 

b.     No  band  across  the  breast  (sexes  different) Pteroglossus  viridis. 

b'.    Breast  banded  (sexes  alike). 

c.     Throat  chestnut Pteroglossus  flaviventris. 

c'.    Throat  black. 

d.     With  two  black  bands  beneath Pleroglossus  pluricinclus. 

d'.  A  single  scarlet  band  across  lower  breast;  maxilla  with  a  broad 
black  culminal  stripe  (at  base  occupying  entire  space  between 
nostrils^ ;  thighs  reddish  green Pteroglossus  aracari  roraimae 

RAMPHASTOS  CUVIERI  IXCA  Gould. 
Ramphastos  inca  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1846.  p.  68. 
Ramphastos  cuzneri  inca  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  99. 

One  specimen  secured  at  Munduapo  on  the  first  expedition  and 
recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

RAMPHASTOS  MONILIS  MULLER. 
Ramphastos  monilis  P.  L.  S.  Miiller,  Natursyst.  Suppl.   (1776):  p.  83 

(Cayenne). 
Ramphastos   haematorhynchus   Berlepsch   &   Hartert,   Novit.   Zool.    IX. 

1902.  p.  99.     (Type,  ex  La  Pricion,  Caura  River,  Venez.). 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  &  Hartert  from  points  on  the  Caura  River 
only.  Not  seen  on  the  Orinoco. 

RAMPHASTOS  OSCULANS  Gould. 
Ramphastos  osculans  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1835.  p.  156;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  100. 

Only  one  specimen  collected,  taken  at  Munduapo  February  10, 
1899,  not  seen  on  subsequent  expeditions. 

Eye  seal  brown,  bare  skin  about  eye  turquoise  blue;  bill,  with  a 
narrow  band  at  the  extreme  base  deep  black ;  culmen  and  tips  of  maxilla 
and  mandible  and  the  upper  third  of  a  sub-basal  band  sulphur  yellow, 
lower  two-thirds  of  sub-basal  band  azure  blue,  body  of  both  maxilla  and 
mandible  black ;  feet  glaucous  blue. 


318  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

RAMPHASTOS  VITELLINUS   Lichtenstein. 
Ramphastos  vitellinus   Licht,    Doubl.    Verz.    1823.    p.    7;    Berlepsch   & 

Hartert,  p.  101. 

Not  taken  by  the  writer,  but  recorded  from  Suapure,  La  Pricion 
on  the  Caura  River  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

RAMPHASTOS  CULMINATUS  Gould. 
Ramphastos  culminatus  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1833.  p.  70;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  101. 

More  often  seen  than  either  cuvieri  inca  or  osculans.  Five  speci- 
mens were  collected  on  my  first  expedition  at  Munduapo  and  at  Neri- 
cagua. 

The  iris  is  bicolored,  having  an  inner  ring  of  seal  brown  and  an  outer 
zone  of  greenish  grey;  bare  skin  about  eye  turquoise  blue;  bill  with  a 
narrow  band  at  the  extreme  base  deep  black,  succeeded  by  a  much 
broader  band,  which  on  the  mandible  and  one-fourth  of  the  maxilla  is 
azure  blue,  the  remainder,  as  also  the  culmen  and  tips  of  both  maxilla 
and  mandible,  is  sulphur  yellow,  body  of  the  bill,  maxilla  and  mandible 
black ;  feet  glaucous  blue. 

PTEROGLOSSUS  PLURICINCTUS  Gould. 
Pteroglossus  pluricinctus  Gould,   P.  Z.   S.   1835.   p.    157;   Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  101. 

Four  specimens  taken  at  Munduapo  during  February.  Eye  straw 
yellow,  bare  skin  about  eye  paris  green ;  bill  with  a  narrow  band  at  the 
extreme  base  of  maxilla  and  mandible  ochre  yellow,  remainder  of  mand- 
ible black,  maxilla  with  a  basal  band,  including  a  long  acute  triangular 
area  along  its  basal  cutting  edge  and  the  culmen  black,  tip  pinkish 
vinaceous,  body  of  the  maxilla  bicolor,  the  basal  part  being  ochre  yellow, 
the  anterior  part  a  soiled  yellowish  white,  the  two  shades  blending  grad- 
ually into  one  another  in  the  centre;  feet  dusky  oil  green,  bare  skin  on 
sides  of  tarsi  plumbeous. 

PTEROGLOSSUS  FLAVIROSTRIS  FLAVIROSTRIS  Fraser. 
Pteroglossus   flavirostris    Fraser,    P.    Z.    S.    1840.    p.    61 ;    Berlepsch   & 

Hartert,  p.    101. 

Probably  the  most  common  of  the  species  of  toucan  seen  on  the 
Orinoco. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  319 

Bare  skin  about  the  eye,  on  side  of  face,  bicolored,  a  band  immedi- 
ately surrounding  the  eye  slate  black  and  the  remaining  outer  portion 
dark  maroon  purple;  bill,  maxilla  very  pale  primrose  yellow  with  a 
series  of  black  spots  along  the  cutting  edges  of  the  basal  part,  together 
with  a  small  elongated  black  patch  also  on  the  cutting  edge  near  the  tip, 
mandible  very  pale  primrose  yellow  with  an  elongated  ochraceous  patch 
near  the  centre  of  the  cutting  edge;  feet  dark  sage  green. 

PTEROGLOSSUS  VIRIDIS  (Linnaeus). 
Ramphastos  ziridis  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  150. 
Pteroglossus  viridis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  101. 

Not  noted  on  the  Orinoco.  Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
from  Suapure  and  from  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River. 

PTEROGLOSSUS  ARACARI  RORAIMAE  Bradbourne  &  Chubb. 
Pteroglossus  aracari  atricollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  102. 
Pteroglossus  roraimae  Bradbourne  and  Chubb,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist. 

1912:  p.  261   (Guiana,  Roraima)  ;  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil. 

1913:  p.  199  (Guinipa  River:  Rio  Vagre). 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  only  a 
single  specimen  collected  by  Klages  at  Suapure.  Stone  records  it  as 
abundant  on  the  Guinipa  and  Vagre  Rivers. 

There  is  a  specimen  of  Pteroglossus  in  the  Am.  Museum  collection, 
from  Sacupano,  Orinoco  Delta,  that  differs  from  examples  from  Cristo- 
bal Colon  (Paria  Peninsula),  in  that  the  thighs  and  under  tail-coverts 
are  largely  dusky  greenish  without  reddish  wash,  whereas  in  typical 
roraimae  those  parts  are  lighter,  more  dusky  sulphur  yellowish  with  a 
reddish  wash. 

BUCCONIDAE  —THE  PUFF-BIRDS. 

Six  of  the  seven  species  included  in  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper 
were  collected  on  the  Orinoco  proper. 

KEY  TO  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  BUCCONIDAE. 

a.     One  or  more  black  bands  across  the  breast. 

b.     Two  distinct  black  bands  across  the  breast Hypnelus  btctnctus. 

b'.    One  distinct  black  band  across  the  breast. 

c.     Head  and  back  without  transverse  blackish  bars. 
d.     Middle  of  belly  white,  unmarked. 


32O  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

c'.    Head  and  back  thickly  barred  with  black  lines Bucco  capensis. 

a'.    Without  black  bands  across  breast  although  the  throat  and  breast  may 

be  blackish. 
b.     Throat  chestnut  or  hazel  brown. 

c.     Feathers  of  breast  and  sides  with  broad  terminal  black  spots  or 

bands Nystactes  tamatia  lamatia. 

c'.    Feathers  of  breast  and  sides  without  terminal  black  spots  or  bands .     Nonnula  duidae. 
b'.    Throat  slate  gray  or  black. 

C.     Bill  black;  rump  white Chelidoptera  tenebrosa. 

c'.    Bill  red ;  rump  slate  gray  like  back Monasa  ttigra. 

Bucco  CAPENSIS  Linnaeus. 
Bucco  capensis  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  168;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p..  102. 

This  species  was  met  with  on  my  first  expedition,  only  a  single 
specimen,  an  adult  female  collected  at  the  Alataben  Rapids,1  February 
2,  1899. 

NOTHARCHUS    HYPERRHYNCHUS   DYSONI    (Sclater). 

Bucco  dysoni  Sclater,  P.  Z.  S.  1885 :  p.  193  (Honduras);  Stone,  Proc. 

Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913:  p.  199  (Manimo  River). 
Notharchus  hyperrhynchus  dysoni  Ridgway,  Birds  N.  &  M.  Am.  VI : 

1911:  376. 

Stone  records  this  species  from  the  delta  region. 

NOTHARCHUS  TECTUS  TECTUS  (Boddaert). 
Bucco  tectus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.   1783.  p.  43;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.    IO2. 

B[ucco]   t[ectus]   tectus  Hellm.,  P.  Z.  S.  Part  IV.   1911,   1195    (Caura 

River). 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  speci- 
mens collected  by  Klages  at  Suapure  and  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura 
River. 

ARGICUS  MACRODACTYLUS  cAURENsis  Cherrie. 
Argicus   macrodactylus  caurensis   Cherrie,   Bui.   Am.    Mus.    Nat.    Hist., 

XXXV.  1916,  p.  389. 
Bucco  macrodactylus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  102. 

Rare.     One  taken,  an  adult  male,  at  Maipures,  December  21,  1898. 

The  eye  is  liver  brown;  bill  black;  feet  smoke  grey. 

NYSTACTES  TAMATIA  TAMATIA  (Gmelin). 

Bucco  tamatia  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.   1788.  p.   405;   Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 
p.  102. 


'The  Mataben  Rapids  are  above  the  falls  of  Maipures,  between  that  point  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Vichada  River. 


:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE)  ORINOCO  REGION.  32! 

Bucco    tamatia    tamatia    Hellmayr,    Novit.    Zool.    XVII:    1910;     391 

(Maipures). 

Rare;  two  were  taken  at  Maipures,  one  in  December  and  one  in 
January.  The  American  Museum  has  an  example  collected  at  the  same 
place  in  April. 

Eye  walnut  brown;  bill  black;  feet  olive  plumbeous. 

HYPNELUS  BICINCTUS  (Gould). 
Tamatia  bicinctus  Gould,  P.  Z.  S.  1836.  p.  80. 
Bucco  bicinctus  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  435  (Angostura)  ;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  102. 

Adult  male:  eye  straw  yellow;  bill  black;  feet  plumbeous  olive. 

Common.  Found  most  commonly  in  the  thinly  wooded  savanna 
regions. 

The  nesting  habits  of  this  species  are  somewhat  extraordinary. 
The  nest  is  excavated  by  the  parent  bird,  in  one  of  the  large  nests  of 
the  common  termite  (the  white  ant  of  the  region)  which  form  so  con- 
spicuous an  object  in  many  of  the  forest  trees.  The  entrance  is  usually 
placed  at  about  the  middle  on  one  side  of  the  termite  nest ;  the  excava- 
tion then  passes  backward  and  upward  for  nearly  the  entire  diameter 
of  the  termite  dwelling,  and  is  terminated  with  a  slightly  enlarged 
spherical  chamber  about  15  cm.  in  diameter.  The  entrance  tunnel  is 
about  8  cm.  in  diameter.  No  nesting-  material  is  carried  in  and  the 
eggs  are  deposited  on  the  debris  at  the  bottom  of  the  nest  cavity. 

A  nest  found  at  Caicara  May  6th  contained  a  single  fresh  egg. 
The  parent  bird  remained  in  the  nest  cavity  until  I  had  cut  and  hacked 
at  the  termite  nest  (which  by  the  way  is  exceedingly  tough  and  hard) 
for  some  time.  She  must  have  been  covered  with  the  termites  for  they 
swarmed  out  everywhere  over  the  nest  in  countless  numbers,  and  the 
question  uppermost  in  my  mind  was :  How  were  the  birds  able  to  make 
their  excavation  in  the  face  of  the  hoards  of -creeping  biting  termites? 
The  egg  is  white,  slightly  glossy,  short  ovate  in  shape,  and  measures 
24.6  x  20  mm. 

In  the  American  Museum  collection  are  three  examples  from 
Maripa  on  the  Caura  River. 

NONNULA  DUIDAE  Chapman. 

Nonnula  duidac  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  XXXIIT :  1914: 
195   (Foot  Mt.  Duida,  Venez.). 
The  type  is  in  the  collection  of  the  American  Museum. 


322  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

MONASA  NIGRA    (Muller). 

Cuculus  niger  Miill.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement,  17/6.  p.  90. 
Monasa  nigra  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  103. 

Native  name  Pico  de  Lacre.  Not  observed  on  the  lower  Orinoco, 
but  common  from  near  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  and  beyond.  Also  com- 
mon on  the  San  Feliz  River,  near  its  junction  with  the  Cuchivero  River 
and  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

In  fresh  birds  the  eye  is  bay  brown ;  bill  poppy  red ;  feet  slate  grey. 

Birds  of  this  species  will  frequently  sit  on  low  branches  five  or 
six  feet  from  the  ground,  stupidly  watching  one  until  they  can  be 
almost  taken  in  the  hand.  They  were  only  observed  in  heavily  timbered 
districts. 

A  female  shot  at  Nericagua  March  27th  had  an  egg  in  the  oviduct 
that  would  soon  have  been  deposited.  It  was  pure  white  in  color. 

A  nest,  with  young  nearly  able  to  shift  for  themselves,  was  found 
at  La  Cascabel  on  the  San  Feliz  River,  near  its. union  with  the  Cuchi- 
vero River,  on  the  27th  day  of  May,  1907.  The  nest  proper  was  at 
the  bottom  of  an  excavation  1.5  m.  in  depth.  It  was  situated  in  a  belt 
of  heavy  timber,  on  level  ground,  bordering  the  San  Feliz  River.  The 
excavation  (whether  made  by  the  puff-bird,  or  not,  I  am  unable  to  say)1 
descended  at  an  angle  of  about  45°  from  the  horizontal  and  was  about 
7.6  cm.  in  diameter. 

Over  the  entrance  had  been  heaped  a  pile  of  rotten  coarse  dead 
twigs,  as  large  as  a  half  bushel  measure,  and  having  a  rounded  tunnel 
running  along  the  ground  from  one  edge  to  the  entrance  of  the  ground 
excavation.  This  pile  of  sticks  forming  a  barrier  to  the  real  nest  ent- 
rance was  unquestionably  of  recent  construction. 

The  nest  was  discovered  by  hearing  the  cries  of  the  young  issuing 
from  what  seemed  only  a  pile  of  brush. 

Birds  in  Juvenal  plumage  resemble  the  adults  except  that  the 
white  patch  on  the  bend  of  the  wing  is  lacking,  and  the  bill  is  a  dusky 
dirty  white. 

CHELIDOPTERA  TENEBROSA  TENEBROSA    (Pallas). 
Cuculus  tenebrosus  Pallas,  Neue.  Nord.  Beytr.  III.  1782.  p.  2. 
Chelidoptera  tenebrosa  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  103. 
Eye  seal  brown;  bill  black;  feet  slate  color. 

1There  was  no  loose  dirt  about  the  entrance  to  indicate  that  the  cavity  was  of  recent  excavation. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  323 

Not  uncommon.  Frequents  open  glades  in  forest  regions  or  the 
less  heavily  wooded  districts  bordering  open  savannas. 

The  nesting  season  continues  from  February  to  June.  The  nest 
is  an  excavation  made  by  the  birds  themselves,  sometimes  in  the  bank 
of  a  stream,  after  the  manner  of  our  Bank  Swallow,  and  again  in  level 
ground. 

A  nest  containing  two  slightly  incubated  eggs  found  at  Munduapo 
River,  Orinoco,  on  March  2nd,  1899  (No.  12155  Coll.  Geo.  K.  and  Stella 
M.  Cherrie)  was  situated  in  the  gently  sloping  bank  of  the  river  about 
ten  meters  back  from  the  water's  edge  and  about  two  meters  above  its 
surface.  The  excavation  went  straight  back  from  the  entrance  to  the 
nest  proper,  sloping  downward  at  an  angle  of  30°  with  the  horizontal, 
and  for  a  distance  of  150  cm.  from  the  entrance.  The  nest  chamber 
was  merely  a  slight  enlargement  of  the  end  of  the  tunnel.  There  was 
no  nesting  material  and  the  eggs  lay  on  the  bare  sand.  The  bottom 
of  the  nest  was  75  cm.  from  the  surface.  The  parent  bird  was  seen  to 
come  from  the  nest,  and  during  my  excavating  of  the  two  slightly 
glossy  pure  white  eggs  she  remained  sitting  within  easy  range  on  the 
topmost  branch  of  a  tree  on  the  shore.  Not  a  note  (that  I  heard)  did 
she  utter  or  show  any  special  interest  in  the  locality. 

A  nest  containing  two  eggs,  with  incubation  far  advanced  was 
found  at  Caicara,  May  6,  1905.  The  excavation  for  this  nest  was  made 
in  nearly  level  ground  at  the  edge  of  the  open  savanna.  The  burrow 
extended  straight  backward  and  downward  at  an  angle  of  about  30° 
with  the  surface.  The  nest  chamber  was  about  one  meter  from  the 
entrance  and  30  cm.  below  the  surface.  A  small  quantity  of  short  bits 
of  dead  grass  had  been  taken  in  as  a  nest  lining.  One  of  the  eggs  is 
short  ovate  in  form,  the  other  ovate.  They  measured  24  x  19  and 
26  x  19.5  cm. 

A  rather  remarkable  thing  about  these  nests,  as  in  that  of  Monasa 
nigra,  is  that  the  dirt  that  is  excavated  is  not  seen  about  the  mouth  of 
the  entrance  tunnel. 

Near  Caicara,  on  the  8th  of  May,  1907,  I  found  two  nests  each  with 
two  young  birds.  Judging  from  the  young  found  in  these  two  nests, 
and  from  those  found  in  other  nests  examined,  I  believe  that  ordinar- 
ily one  of  the  two  young  is  born  several  days  before  the  other.  At  birth 
the  young  are  slate  black  in  color,  they  are  entirely  naked  (without  a 
trace  of  natal  down)  and  the  eyes  do  not  open  until  about  the  third  or 
fourth  dav.  When  about  half  grown  or  a  little  less,  the  pin  feathers 


324  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

of  the  juvenal  plumage  appear.  This  plumage  is  similar  to  the  adult 
plumage.  At  about  the  same  time  that  the  pin-feathers  begin  to  appear, 
the  young  commence  to  creep  out  to  the  entrance  to  their  burrows, 
where  they  sprawl  in  the  sun  and  await  the  visits  of  the  parents  with 
food.  If  alarmed,  they  will  scuttle  backwards  into  the  burrow,  never 
turning  around  to  dive  in  head  foremost. 

The  bottom  of  the  cavities,  in  nests  containing  half  grown  young, 
are  a.live  with  maggots  working  in  the  excrement  and  cast  off  parts  of 
the  insect  food — chiefly  small  beetles — brought  to  the  young. 

The  two  nests  referred  to  above,  as  found  on  the  8th  of  May,  were 
both  situated  on  (or  in)  the  practically  level  sandy  soil  of  the  open 
savanna.  In  each,  the  excavation  was  in  an  almost  straight  line  back 
from  the  entrance,  descending  at  an  angle  of  about  30°  with  the  hori- 
zontal. In  one  case  the  entrance  tunnel  was  200  cm.  long  and  the 
nest  cavity  50  cm.  from  the  surface,  in  the  other  the  entrance  tunnel 
was  135  cm.  long  and  the  nest  cavity  35  cm.  from  the  surface. 

GALBULIDAE— THE  JACAMARS. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper  records  five  species  only,  two  of 
which  were  met  with  on  the  Orinoco  proper,  the  other  three  being  re- 
corded from  Caura  River  points.  An  additional  species  from  the  upper 
Orinoco  is  now  recorded. 

I  believe  that  without  exception  the  members  of  this  family  are 
resident  wherever  found. 

KEY  TO  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF1  GALBULIDAE. 

a.     General  color  above  green-iridescent. 
6.     Bill  wholly  black. 

c.     Under  surface  of  tai'  rufous Galbula  ruficauda. 

c'.   Under  surface  of  tail  not  rufous. 

d.     A  broad  iridescent  green  band  across  the  breast Galbula  galbula. 

d'.    Without  a  green  band  across  breast Jacamerops  aureus. 

b'.    Mandible  and  base  of  maxilla  yellowish  horn  color;  tip  of  maxilla 

blackish Psilopornis  albiroslris. 

a'.    General  color  above  blackish  or  brownish. 

6.     Throat  white;  tail  long  and  much  graduated Urogalba  dea. 

b'.    Throat  brownish ;  tail  not  graduated Brachygalba  lugubris. 

UROGALBA  DEA  (Linn.). 

Alcedo  dea  Linn.,  Syst.  Nat.  (1758):  p.  116    (Surinam). 

In  the  American  Museum  are  two  specimens  collected  by  Miller  at 
Boca  de  Sina,  Cunucunuma  River,  Upper  Orinoco.  This  species  has  not 
before  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  325 

GALBULA  GALBULA  (Linnaeus). 
Alcedo  galbula  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  182. 
Galbula  galbula  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  103. 

Not  observed  by  the  writer  below  the  falls  of  Atures  but  common 
there,  and  beyond,  where  it  replaces  G.  rnficauda  of  the  middle  Orinoco. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  black;  feet  olive  buff. 

GALBULA  RUFICAUDA  Cuvier. 
Galbula  ruficauda  Cuv.,  Regn.  Anim.  I.  1817  p.  420;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

P-  103- 

The  native  name  of  this  and  the  species  preceding  is  Barranquero. 
Common,  found  most  abundantly  near  the  borders  of  heavily 
timbered  regions  throughout  the  territory  of  the  middle  Orinoco. 

This  species  nests  in  holes  in  the  ground  usually  in  the  banks  of 
streams.  The  excavation  ordinarily  slants  slightly  upward  and  is  from 
25  to  loo  cm.  in  depth.  No  nesting  material  is  taken  into  the  burrows. 
From  two  to  four  dull  white  eggs  are  laid. 

Eye  dark  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  olive  yellow,  claws  black. 

PSILOPORNIS  ALBIROSTRIS  Latham. 
Galbula  albirostris  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  I.  1790.  p.  245 ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 

p.  104. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.  Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
from  La  Pricion,  La  Union  and  Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 

BRACK YGALBA  LUGUBRIS  (Swainson). 
Galbula  lugubris  Swains.,  Anim.  in  Menag.  1838.  p.  329. 
Brachygalba  lugubris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  104. 

Not  seen  on  the  Orinoco.  Recorded  from  Nicare  and  from  La 
Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

JACAMEROPS  AUREUS  (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 
Alcedo  aurea  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  94. 
Jacamerops  aureus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  104. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  two  specimens  taken  by  Klages 
at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 


326  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

ALCEDINIDAE— THE  KINGFISHERS. 

Five  species  are  included  in  Berlepsch  and  Hartert's  paper,  all 
of  which  were  observed  on  the  Orinoco  by  the  writer.  These,  like 
the  Jacamars,  frequent  the  same  general  localities  throughout  the  year. 

The  native  names  Matraqucro  and  Martin  Pescador  are  applied 
indifferently  to  any  and  all  kingfishers  found  in  the  Orinoco  region. 

KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  ALCEDINIDAE. 

a.     Breast  and  sides,  including  flanks,  chestnut. 

b.     Middle  of  belly  and   crissum  white  (the  smallest  of  the  American 

kingfishers) Chloroceryle  aenea  aenea. 

b'.    Center  of  breast  and  crissum  chestnut,  nearly  uniform  with  sides. 

c.     Very  large,  wing  more  than  14  cm ;  back  slate  blue,  not  iridescent .  .      Megaceryle  torquata  torquata. 
-  c' .    Much  smaller,  wing  less  then  14  cm;  back  dark  green,  iridescent ..     Chloroceryle  inda. 
a'.    Sides  and  flanks  not  chestnut  but  with  a  broad  chestnut  band  across 
the  breast  in  the  males. 

c.     Innerwebsof  tail-feathers  spotted  with  white Chloroceryieamazona. 

c'.    Inner  webs  of  tail-feathers  white  for  basal  half  or  more Chloroceryle  americana  ameri- 

cana. 


CHLOROCERYLE  INDA  (Linnaeus). 
Alcedo  inda  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  179. 
Ceryle  inda  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  104. 

Observed  at  various  points  on  the  Orinoco  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Apure  River.  It  is  recorded  from  points  on  the  Cattra  River  by 
Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

CHLOROCERYLE  AENEA  AENEA  Pallas. 
Alcedo  (aenea}  Pallas,  in  Vroeg's  Cat.  Ois.,  Adumbr.,  1764,  i,  no.  54 

(Surinam). 
Ceryle  superciliosa  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  104. 

Common  all  along  the  river;  also  recorded  from  points  on  the 
Caura  River. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  blackish ;  feet  dusky. 

MEGACERYLE  TORQUATA  TORQUATA  (Linnaeus). 
Alcedo  torquata  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  180. 

Ceryle  torquata  Berlepsch,  Ibis,   1884.  p.  435   (Rio  Apure)  ;  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  104. 

Not  observed  at  Bolivar.  Common  at  Caicara  and  farther  up  the 
river,  as  far  as  the  first  falls,  at  least. 

Eye  dark  seal  brown ;  bill  black,  slate  color  at  base  of  mandible  and 
at  basal  angle  of  maxilla;  feet  dusky  plumbeous  olive. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  327 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Caicara  there  were  several  barrancas 
(ravines)  whose  steep  sides  afforded  nesting  places  for  these  king- 
fishers. At  such  points  they  were  found  most  frequently  associating 
in  little  colonies  of  four  or  five  pairs.  But  at  a  point  on  the  main 
river  (the  Orinoco)  some  eight  miles  above  Caicara,  there  is  a  high 
sand  bank  facing  the  river.  At  this  point  there  is  a  colony  of  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  pairs  of  these  birds.  The  nest  cavity  is  from 
one  to  three  metres  back  from  the  face  of  the  bluff;  the  tunnel  runs 
horizontally  straight  back  and  is  from  8  to  12  cm.  in  diameter.  The 
breeding  season  lasts  from  June  to  August. 

CHLOROCERYLE  AMAZON  A  (Latham). 
Alcedo  amazona  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  I.  1790.  p.  257. 
Ceryle  americana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  105. 

Eye  dark  seal  brown;  bill  and  feet  black. 

Not  uncommon.  Noted  at  all  points  visited  on  the  Orinoco  and 
recorded  from  the  Caura. 

CHLOROCERYLE  AMERICANA  AMERICANA  (Gmelin). 
Alcedo  americana  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  451. 
Ceryle  americana  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  105. 

Eye  dark  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  dusky  blackish. 

Common  at  all  points  visited. 

MOMOTIDAE— THE  MOTMOTS. 

There  are  only  two  species  known  to  me  from  our  region.  Both 
were  collected  on  the  upper  Orinoco  beyond  the  second  falls,  and  were 
not  observed  below  that  point. 

MOMOTUS  MOMOTA  (Linnaeus). 

Ramphastos  momota,  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  152. 
Momotus  momota  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  105. 

Eye  vermilion;  bill  black,  smoke  grey  at  base  of  mandible;  feet 
dark  smoke  grey. 

Rare.  One  specimen  taken  on  the  upper  river  at  Nericagua. 
Probably  not  uncommon  on  the  Caura  River,  as  it  was  collected  by 
both  Andre  and  Klages,  and  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from 
Suapure,  Nicare  and  La  Pricion. 


328  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

MOMOTUS  IGNOBILIS  (Berlepsch). 

Momotus  brasiliensis  ignobilis  Berl.,  Journ.  f.  Orn.  1889.  p.  306. 
Momotus  ignobilis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  106. 

Rare.  An  immature  male  was  shot  at  Mataban  above  the  falls 
of  Maipures. 

Eye  vermilion ;  bill  black,  smoke  grey  at  base  of  mandible ;  feet  dark 
smoke  grey. 

TROGONIDAE— THE  TROGONS. 

The  Trogons  are  but  poorly  represented  in  the  Orinoco  region, 
two  species  only  having  been  observed. 

TROGON  VIOLACEUS  VIOLACEUS  Gmelin. 

Trogon  violaceus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  404;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

p.  1 06. 

A  single  specimen  identified  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  (/.  c.)  was 
collected  at  Munduapo  February  23,  1899. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  above  blackish,  mandible  and  cutting  edges  of 
maxilla  slate  grey;  feet  slate  color. 

TROGON  STRIGILATUS  STRIGILATUS  Linnaeus. 

Trogon  strigilatus  L.  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  167. 
Trogon  viridis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  106. 

This  species  is  not  uncommon  on  the  upper  Orinoco  from  the 
falls  of  Atures  onward,  and  is  met  with,  although  rarely,  on  the  middle 
stretches  of  the  river  down  as  far,  at  least,  as  the  mouth  of  the  Caura 
River. 

In  fresh  specimens  the  eye  is  seal  brown,  eye-lids  blue-grey;  bill 
whitish  horn  color;  feet  slate  grey. 

PSITTACIDAE— THE      MACAWS.      PARROTS,      PARAQUETS, 

ETC. 

The  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  paper  listed  seventeen  species,  twelve 
of  which  number  were  observed  and  collected  on  the  Orinoco  proper  by 
the  writer.  The  remaining  five  were  recorded  from  points  on  the 
Caura  River,  where  Andre  and  Klages  both  made  collections.  Three 
additional  species  are  included  in  the  present  paper. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION. 
KEY  TO  THE  GENERA,  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES  OF  PSITTACIDAE. 


329 


a .     Forehead  and  more  or  less  of  the  sides  of  face  naked  , 
a'.    Forehead  feathered. 

b.     Lores  and  region  about  eye  almost  entirely  naked  (feathers  if  present 

arranged  in  narrow  lines). 
c.     Cheeks  (at  base  of  mandible)  naked. 

d.     Lines  of  feathers  extending  from  the  lores  below  the  eyes  across 

the  face. 
e.     Bill  black. 

/.     General  color  of  under  parts  green 

/'.    General  color  of  under  parts  yellow 

e'.    Maxilla  white  (except  black  triangle  at  base  of  cutting  edge); 

general  color  of  body  red 

d'.   Without  lines  of  feathers  extending  across  the  face 

c.'.    Cheeks  feathered 

V.    Loral  region  at  least  partly  feathered. 

c.     Tail  long  and  much  graduated  (the  central  pair  of  rectrices  always 

longest).  ' 
d.     Breast  with  transverse  bars  or  scale-like  appearance. 

e .     Primary  coverts  red  with  yellowish  tips 

e'.    Primary  coverts  blue  like  the  primaries 

d'.    Breast  without  transverse  bars  or  scale-like  appearance. 

e.     Inner  webs  of  tail  feathers  (except  intermediae)  reddish,  and 

under  parts  uniform  green 

«'.    Inner  webs  of  tail  feathers  not  reddish. 

/.     Under  parts  not  uniform.     Lower  breast  and  belly  washed 

with  orange  ochraceous 

/'.    Under  parts  uniform  green  (no  orange  wash) 

c'.    Tail  not  long  and  much  graduated. 

d.     Tips  of  tail-feathers  sharply  tapering,  not  rounded. 

e.     Nostrils  opening  in  the  middle  of  a  naked  cere,  bill  slightly 
compressed  at  base. 

/.     Primary  coverts  orange  red 

f.    Primary  coverts  blue  or  bluish  edged  with  green. 

g.     Head  black 

g'.    Head  green  (paler  than  back) 

e'.    Nostrils  opening  at  the  base  of  the  cere  and  bill  slightly  ex- 
panded (not  compressed)  at  base. 

/.' Axillaries  and  under  wing  coverts  green,  not  blue  or  purple. 

g.     Inner    webs   of   quills   underneath   greenish;   feet    pale 

brownish 

g'.    Innerwebsof  quills  underneath  with  tingeof  bluish  green; 

feet  dusky  brownish 

/'.     Axillaries  and  under  wing  coverts  not  all  green. 

g.     Rump  deep  blue 

g'.    Rump  bright  green  (brighter  than  back) 

d'.    Tips  of  tail-feathers  rounded. 

e.     General  color  of  under-parts  from  throat  to  crissum  green. 
/.     Wing  with  a  red  or  orange  red  speculum. 

g.     No  red  color  on  the  tail,  no  yellow  on  the  head 

g'.    Tail  partly  red  or  orange,  especially  at  base. 

h.     Head  partly  blue,  pileum  tinged  with  blue  and  lores 

blue 

h'.    Head  without  any  blue,  crown  yellow,  lores  whitish .... 
/'.    Without  red  or  orange  red  speculum;  forehead  red,  lower 

back  and  rump  red 

e'.    General  color  of  under-parts  including  throat  not  green. 
/.     Throat  blue  or  yellow. 

g  .  Entire  head,  throat  and  breast  blue 

e.' .    Entire  top  of  head  black,  throat  yellow 

/'.    Throat  and  general  color  of  under-parts  reddish  purple. . . . 


Gypopsitla  vullurina. 


Ara  severe. 
Ara  ararauna. 

Ara  chloroplera. 
Ara  macao. 
Diopsittaca  hahni. 


Pyrrhura  melanura. 
Pyrrhura  picta  picta. 


nga  haemorr 


Aratinga  chrysophrys. 
Aralingaleucophthalmus. 


Brologeris  chrysopterus. 


Eucinetus  caica. 
Brotogeris  devillei. 


9  Psittacula    guianensis    I'iri 
dissima. 

9  Psittacula  modesta  modes la. 

<? Psittacula  modesta  modesta. 
tfPsittacula    guianensis    firt 
dissima. 


Amazona  inornata. 


Amazona  amazonica. 
Amazona  ochrocephala. 


A  mazona  bodini. 


Pionus  menstruus. 
Pionites  melanocephala. 
Pionut  fuscus. 


ARA  MACAO   (Linnaeus). 

Psittacus  macao  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  96. 
Ara  macao  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  107. 

Native  name  Guacamayo.     Not  uncommon,  but  very  wary. 

Eye  straw-yellow;  bill  above  horny  white  with  tip  slate  and  angle 
at  base  black,  below  black,  bare  skin  about  head  dead  flesh  white ;  feet 
slate  blackish. 


33O  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

This  species  was  observed  at  all  points  visited  from  the  delta 
region  up,  as  far  as  I  extended  my  explorations.  Like  most,  if  not 
all,  of  the  species  belonging  to  this  family,  its  presence  in  any  par- 
ticular locality  depends  largely  on  the  ripening  of  the  fruits  on  which 
it  feeds. 

ARA  CHILOROPTERA  G.  R.  Gray.1 

Ara  chloroptera  G.  R.  Gray,  List  Psit.  Brit.  Mus.  (1859)  p.  26. 
Native  name  Carapaico.  Less  frequently  seen  than  the  preceding 
species.  An  adult  male  and  an  adult  female  were  taken  at  Caicara 
May  23,  1905,  and  others  taken  in  1907.  Like  the  preceding  species 
they  usually  go  in  pairs.  Not  noted  on  my  first  expedition  to  the 
Orinoco. 

ARA  ARARAUNA  (Linnaeus). 

Psittacus  Ararauna  Linnaeus,  Syst.  Nat,  ed  10;  1758:  p.  96  (Brazil). 
Ara  ararauna  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913:  p.  196  (Guinipa). 
Recorded  from  Guinipa  Village  by  Stone. 

ARA  SEVERA  (Linnaeus). 

Psittacus  severus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  97. 
Ara  severa  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  107. 

Native  name  Maracano.  During  the  season  for  ripe  mangoes 
about  Caicara,  from  April  to  June,  this  species  is  abundant,  associated 
in  small  flocks  of  from  five  or  six  to  twenty  individuals.  At  this 
season  they  are  extremely  fat  and  many  are  shot  for  food  by  the 
natives. 

Eye  chrome  yellow,  bare  skin  about  eye  chalk  white ;  bill  black ;  feet 
blackish  slate. 

DIOPSITTACA  HAHNI  (Souance). 
Psittacara  hahni  Souance,  Rev.  Zool.  1856.  p.  58. 
Ara  hahni  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  107. 

Diopsittaca  hahni  Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Coc.  Wash.  XXV:  1912:  p.  99. 
Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.     Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Har- 
tert from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 


"Why  should  not  this  be  Ara  brasiliensis  Brisson,  Orn.  IV.  1760.  p.  184.  pi.  XIX  f. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  331 

ARATINGA  LEUCOPHTHALMUS  (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 
Psittacus  leucophthalmus  P.  L.  S.  Miiller,  Syst.  Nat.,  Suppl.  1776:  p.  75 

(Guiana). 
Aratinga  leucophthalmus  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913 :  p.  196 

(Buelte  Triste,  Manimo  Riv.). 

Recorded  from  the  delta  country  by  Stone. 

ARATINGA  HAEMORRHOA  Spix. 

Aratinge  haemorrhoa  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  I.  1824.  p.  29.  PI.  xiii. 
Conurus  haemorrhous  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  107. 

Abundant  about  Ciudad  Bolivar  during  April,  less  common  at 
Caicara.  Flocks  of  from  two  to  thirty  or  forty  were  frequenting 
trees  of  ripe  mangoes. 

Eye  and  eye-lid  orange  yellow,  bare  skin  about  eye  yellowish 
white;  maxilla  vinaceous  cinnamon,  slaty  at  the  extreme  tip,  mandible 
slate  color;  feet  buffy  yellow.  There  is  considerable  variation  in 
the  color  of  the  bill;  in  some  it  is  vinaceous  cinnamon  above  with  the 
extreme  tip  and  mandible  blackish  slate ;  in  others  the  mandible  is 
whitish  horn  color,  slaty  at  the  tip.  Many  of  these,  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding case,  are  killed  for  food. 

ARATINGA  CHRYSOPHRYS   (Swainson). 
Conurus  chrysophrys  Swainson,  Two  Cent,  and  a  Quart,  of  Birds  (in 

Anim.  in  Menag.  pt.  Ill:  1838:  p.  320,  No.  120)   (Guiana). 
Conurus  aeruginosus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  107. 

Native  name  Cara-Sucia.     Common. 

Eye  yellow,  bill  grey,  feet  slate  grey. 

This  species  associates  in  large  flocks,  except  for  a  short  time 
during  the  breeding  season.  It  is  the  most  abundant  parrot  found  along 
the  Orinoco.  Tame,  very  often  seen  about  the  native  houses. 

Chapman  (MS.)  has  pointed  out  that  the  proper  name  for  this  bird 
is  as  given  above. 

PYRRHURA  MELANURA  (Spix). 
Aratinga  melanurus  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  I:  (1824)  p.  36. 

Miller  collected  a  series  at  Boca  de  Sina,  Cunucunuma  River 
(Upper  Orinoco)  now  in  the  American  Museum  collection. 

PYRRHURA  PICTA  PICTA  (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 
Psittacus  pictus  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  75. 
Pyrrhura  picta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  108. 


332  BROOKLYN    INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Pyrrhura  picta  picta  Hellmayr   Novit.   Zool.   XIV:    1907:   37    (Caura 

River). 

Not  noted  by  the  writer,  but  Klages  collected  specimens  at 
Suapure  and  at  La  Pricion  that  are  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert  and  there  is  a  fine  series  in  the  American  Museum  collection 
from  La  Union,  Caura  River. 

PSITTACULA  MODESTA  MODESTA  Cabanis. 
Psittacula  modesta  Cab.,  in  Schomb.  Reis.  Guian.  iii.  p.  727,  1848  (Brit. 

Guiana). 
Psittacula  sclateri  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  108. 

Not  noted  on  the  Orinoco.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a 
specimen  collected  by  Andre  at  La  Union  on  the  Caura  River. 

PSITTACULA  GUIANENSIS  VIRIDISSIMA  Lafresnaye. 
Psittacula  viridi-ssima  Lafresnaye,  Rev.  Zool.  1848.  p.  172  (Caracas). 
Psittacula  guianensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX.  1902.  p.  108. 
P.    guianensis    viridissima    Hellmayr,     Novit.     Zool.     XIV.     1907.     p. 

88  (Orinoco  points — Altagracia,  Ciudad  Bolivar). 

Native  name  Espanolito.  Common,  usually  associating  in  flocks  of 
from  ten  to  forty  or  fifty  birds. 

Eye  dark  raw  umber;  bill  greyish  white;  feet  whitish. 

A  nest  of  this  species  was  found  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  April 
26,  1898.  It  was  at  the  bottom  of  a  hollow  in  an  old  stump,  about 
four  metres  from  the  ground.  The  eggs  were  about  60  cm.  down 
from  opening  to  the  nest  cavity.  No  nesting  materials  had  been  used 
and  the  eggs  rested  on  the  bits  of  decayed  wood  at  the  bottom.  The 
nest  had  contained  seven  eggs  but  two  had  already  hatched  and  all 
were  at  the  point  of  hatching.  Both  parent  birds  were  seen,  but  flew 
away  and  did  not  return  near  the  nest  until  long  after  I  had  left  the 
nest  tree. 

BROTOGERIS  CHRYSOPTERUS  (Linn.). 
Psittacus  chrysopterus  Linn.,  Syst.  Nat.  I:  1766:  p.  149. 

Two  specimens  from  La  Union,  Caura  River  in  American  Museum 
collection. 

BROTOGERIS  DEVILLEI  Salvadori. 

Brotogerys  devillei  Salvad.,  Cat.  Birds,  Brit.  Mus.  XX.   1891.  p.  259; 
Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  109. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  333 

In  the  region  about  the  falls  of  Maipures  and  beyond,  this  was 
a  common  species.  Not  noted,  however,  below  the  rapids. 

AMAZONA  INORNATA  (Salvadori). 

Chrysotis  inornata  Salvad.,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  XX.  1891.  p.  281. 
Amasona  inornata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  109. 

Native  name  Sarambo.  Not  common  and  only  observed  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Munduapo  on  the  upper  river. 

The  colors  taken  from  fresh  birds  are :  eye  orange  yellow,  bare 
skin  around  the  eye  pale  greyish  white;  bill,  above  dusky  slate  along 
ridge  of  oilmen  and  for  the  apical  one-third,  angle  at  rictus  and  base 
dusky  wax  yellow,  below  dusky  yellowish  grey,  skin  above  the  nostrils 
black ;  feet  plumbeous  pea  green. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  also  specimens  collected  by  Andre 
at  Nicare  on  the  Caura  River. 

AMAZONA  OCHROCEPHALA  (Gmelin). 

Psittacus  ochrocephalus  Gm.  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  339.     . 
Amasona  ochrocephala  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  109. 

Common.     Native  name  Loro  Real 

Iris  orange  chrome,  with  an  inner  ring  of  dark  buff;  bill  blackish, 
horny  white  toward  the  base;  feet  dusky  slate  color. 

This  is  the  species  most  sought  after  as  a  cage  bird  (although 
almost  never  caged)  by  the  natives,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  house  in 
the  country  districts  where  one  or  more  is  not  to  be  seen.  Except 
during  the  breeding  season,  parrots  of  this  species  associate  in  large 
flocks  (often  two  or  three  hundred  birds  together),  which  seem  to  be 
made  up  of  pairs  of  adult  birds  which  keep  close  to  one  another,  and  of 
immature  birds  not  yet  mated.  The  nesting  season  begins  at  the  end 
of  March  and  continues  to  the  end  of  May. 

AMAZONA  BODINI  (Finsch). 

Chrysotis  bodini  Finsch,  P.  Z.  S.  1873.  p.  569.  PI.  49. 
Amasona  bodini  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  109. 

Native  name  Tagua  or  Loro  gor<o  Colorado.  During  my  first 
expedition  on  the  Orinoco  I  found  this  species  abundant  along  the 
middle  stretches  of  the  river,  especially  about  Altagracia  and  Caicara. 
None  were  seen  on  the  two  more  recent  trips. 


334  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Eye  orange  chrome :  bill  dusky ;  feet  slate  grey. 

A  great  many  parrots  of  this  and  the  preceding  species,  both  of 
which  congregate  in  great  flocks,  are  killed  for  their  flesh.  Except 
during  the  breeding  season,  they  are  very  fat  and  make  a  most 
acceptable  addition  to  one's  bill  of  fare. 

The  status  of  this  species  prior  to  the  series  I  secured  in  1897 
and  1898,  was  in  doubt. 

AMAZONA  AMAZONICA   (Linnaeus). 
Psittacus  amazonicus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  147. 
Amasona  amasonica  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  no. 

Native  name  Cotorra.  Rare,  one  specimen  taken  at  Quiribana  de 
Caicara  in  April,  1898. 

Eye  orange  yellow;  maxilla  blackish,  mandible  yellowish  horn  color 
with  dusky  tip;. feet  dusky  olive  plumbeous. 

PIONUS  Fuscus   (P.  L.  S.  Miiller). 

Psittacus  fuscus  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  78. 
Pionus  fuscus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  no. 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a 
specimen  that  was  collected  by  Klages  in  the  "Mountains  west  of 
Suapure"  (Caura  River). 

The  American  Museum  contains  a  specimen  from  El  Llagual 
(Caura). 

PIONUS  MENSTRUUS  (Linnaeus). 

Psittacus  menstruus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  148. 
Pionus  menstruus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  no. 

Native  name  Catanito.  Not  uncommon.  Observed  only  on  the 
upper  river. 

Three  young  were  taken  on  the  I3th  of  March.  The  nest  was  a 
hole  in  a  tree,  a  natural  cavity,  about  6.10  m.  from  the  ground.  The 
cavity  was  about  60  cm.  deep,  and  no  lining  or  nesting  material  of 
any  kind  had  been  taken  in.  The  oldest  of  the  three  young  had  the 
body  nearly  as  large  as  that  of  the  parent,  but  almost  naked.  Judging 
by  the  size  of  the  three  young,  there  must  have  been  at  least  four  or 
five  days  between  the  hatching  of  the  oldest  and  of  the  youngest. 

Adults  in  life  have  the  eye  seal  brown,  bare  skin  about  eye  bluish 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  335 

slate  color;  bill  blackish  above  with  reddish  spot  near  the  basal  cutting 
edge,  mandible  dusky  horn  color ;  feet  dusky  olive  greyish. 

Recorded    also   from    Suapure   and    from    Nicare   on   the   Caura 
River  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

PIONITES  MELANOCEPHALA   (Linnaeus). 
Psittacus  melanocephalus  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  1766.  p.  149. 
Pionites  melanoccphala  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  no. 

Native    name    Calzoncito.     Not    common.     Observed    only    on    the 
upper  river,  about  Munduapo  and  Nericagua. 

Eye  orange  yellow ;  bill  slate  color ;  feet  dusky  blackish  slate. 

Collected  on  the  Caura  River,  also  by  both  Andre  and  Klages 
(Berlepsch  and  Hartert). 

EUCINETUS  CAICA  (Latham). 
Psittacus  caicus  Latham,  Ind.  Orn.  i:  (1790)  :  p.  128  ("Cayana"). 

The  American  Museum  collection  contains  two  specimens  from  La 
Union,  Caura  River. 

GYPOPSITTA  VULTURINA  (Kuhl). 
Psittacus  vulturinus  Kuhl,  Consp.  Psitt.  1820.  p.  62. 
Gypopsitta  vulturina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  no. 

Xot  observed   on  the   Orinoco. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  specimens  from  Suapure  and  from 
La  P-ricion  on  the  Caura. 

CATHARTIDAE— THE  AMERICAN  VULTURES. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  list  only  a  single  species  sent  by  the  writer 
from  Caicara.  Field  work  and  a  study  of  the  larger  series  of  specimens 
in  this  museum,  together  with  material  from  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History  and  from  the  U.  S.  National  Museum,  has  convinced 
the  writer  that  there  are  at  least  two,  and  possibly  a  third  species  of 
Cathartes  found  along  the  shores  of  the  Orinoco.  I  have  not  had  access, 
however,  to  sufficient  authentic  material, — material  with  reliable  data, — 
to  work  out  the  relationship  to  my  own  satisfaction.  I  brought  back 
with  me  eleven  specimens,  representing  two  quite  distinct  and  well . 
marked  species,  both  of  which  are  resident  in  the  region  under  con- 
sideration and  are  distinguished  by  the  native  Venezuelans  who  call 
them  respectively  Zamuro  Oripopo  de  Cabeza  Colorado  and  Zamuro 


336  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

Oripopo  de  Cabesa  Amarilla.  Of  these,  the  one  having  the  "Cabesa 
Colorado"  (red  head)  is  much  the  more  common  and  is  probably  the 
Qinops  pernigra  of  Sharpe  (Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  I,  1874,  p.  26).  The 
synonomy  of  the  South  American  vultures  of  the  genus  Catharies  is  in 
some  confusion  and  while  I  have  neither  the  specimens  nor  the  nec- 
essary library  facilities  to  elucidate  the  tangle,  I  hope  by  the  descrip- 
tions and  careful  field  notes  that  follow  to  make  at  least  two  of  the 
species  found  in  northern  South  America  recognizable.  Mr.  E.  \Y. 
Nelson  did  most  excellent  service  determining  the  status  of  C.  burro- 
vianus1  and  by  so  doing  eliminating  it  from  the  South  American 
vultures,  at  least  from  those  found  on  the  Orinoco  where  there  is  a  race 
which  it  resembles  in  size  but  not  in  other  characters. 

In  life  the  two  forms  found  on  the  Orinoco  are  distinguishable 
at  a  glance,  one  appearing  much  larger  and  heavier  than  the  other, 
although  the  wing  and  tail  measurements  are  practically  the  same,  as 
will  be  noted  in  the  tables  of  measurements  given  under  the'species, 
and  the  head  in  the  case  of  the  larger  appearing  pink  or  reddish,  while 
that  of  the  smaller  is  decidedly  yellow. 


CATHARTES  PERNIGRA  (Sharpe). 

CEnops  pernigra  Sharpe,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.  I.  1874.  p.  26. 
Cathartes  aura  pernigra  Berlepsch,  Ibis.  1884.  p.  437  (Angostura). 
Cathartes  burrovianus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  Novit.  Zool.  IX:  1902.  p.  in 

(in  part). 

Native  name  Zamuro  Oripopo  de  Cabesa  Colorado. 

This,  the  commoner  of  the  two  Cathartes  seen  on  the  Orinoco,  was 
observed  at  every  point  visited  from  Barrancas  in  the  Delta  region  to 
above  the  falls  of  Atures  and  Maipures.  Occasionally  one  or  two 
vultures  of  this  species  will  be  seen  feeding  on  some  carcass  in  company 
with  a  crowd  of  Black  Vultures.  They  are  seen  only  in  pairs  or  singly, 
and  I  do  not  remember  ever  having  seen  one  perched  on  the  roof  of  a 
house,  as  is  the  custom  with  the  Black  Vultures. 

My  field' notes  for  an  adult  male  of  this  species,  (No. 10486  Cherrie 
Collection)  taken  at  Caicara  River,  Orinoco,  March  14,  1898,  notes 
written  while  the  bird  was  perfectly  fresh,  and  before  being  skinned,  are 
as  follows: 

Eye  golden  brown ;  bill  horn  white ;  bare  skin  on  head  and  neck  pansy 

iProc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.     XVIII.  1905.  pp.  122-125. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  337 

purple,  except  occiput  and  back  of  neck  which  are  primrose  yellow,  the 
line  between  the  two  colors  being  abrupt  and  sharply  drawn ;  feet  pansy 
purple. 

There  is  some  slight  variation  in  the  shade  and  intensity  of  color- 
ing but  the  above  represents  the  average  coloring  of  the  head  in  this 
species.  There  is  no  appreciable  difference  in  coloring  between  the 
male  and  the  female  and  the  table  of  jneasurements  indicates  that 
they  are  about  equal  in  size.  The  plumage  is  black,  in  freshly 
moulted  specimens  strongly  washed  with  purplish  (or  steel  blue) 
and  greenish  bronze,  the  former  predominating.  As  the  feathers 
grow  old  they  bleach  to  a  brownish  shade,  lightest  along  the  edges 
and  at  tip,  but  the  light  colored  edges  of  the  feathers  never  become 
prominent  as  in  the  Turkey  Vulture  (C.  aura  septentrionalis} .  Below, 
on  breast  and  belly,  the  bronzy  greenish  sheen  is  more  pronounced. 
The  color  of  the  shafts  of  the  primaries  below  is  white  or  yellowish 
white;  above  it  varies  from  a  seal  brown  to  the  yellowish  white  of 
old  ivory,  depending  entirely  on  the  age  of  the  feather,  freshly  moulted 
quills  being  seal  brown.  The  skin  of  the  head  and  neck  is  mostly 
smooth,  being  transversely  wrinkled  on  the  nape  and  upper  part  of 
back  of  neck  only.  The  feathering  does  not  ascend  further  on  the 
back  of  the  neck  than  it  does  on  the  sides — there  is  no  ruff.  On  the 
lores  there  is  a  patch  of  short  bristly  black  hairs,  four  or  five  spring- 
ing from  each  papilla,  a  few  about  the  auricular  orifice  and  on  the 
side  of  the  face  below  the  eye,  while  they  are  sparsely  scattered  over 
the  throat  and  under  side  of  the  neck.  In  cabinet  skins  the  tips  of 
the  wings  rarely  reach  to  the  end  of  the  tail.  Following  is  a  list  of 
specimens  examined,  with  measurements : 

W      T    Ts 

131946  U.  S.  N.  M.  Mashapee  Br.  Guiana,  Apr.,  1892,  495    270    60 

131947  "  Araby          "         "         June,  1891,  495    270    60 
$     5204'  B.  I.  M.           Agua  Salada  de            Apr.,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

Bolivar,  Venez.  1441 1  52O  270  62 

$  5212  "  Caicara,  River  Ori-  July,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  15047  5«>  260  61 

9  5210  "  Caicara,  River  Ori-  June,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  15075  495  260  58 

$  5209  "  Caicara,  River  Ori-  June,  1007,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  14942  495  265  60 

$  3751  "  Caicara,  River  Ori-  June,  1905,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  13794  495    280    60 

"Crown  patch,  nape  and  back  of  neck  cream  yellow. 


338  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

2  5208  B.  I.  M.      Caicara,  River  Ori-  June,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  14921  490  260  59 

?  5206'  Caicara,  River  Ori-  Apr.,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  14559  493  265  60 

$  5205  Caicara,  River  Ori-  Apr.,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  14539  495  260  60 

c?  5211  "  Caicara,  River  Ori-  June,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie 

noco,  Venez.  15000     490  268  60 

CATHARTES  URUBITINGA  Pelzeln. 

Cathartes  urubitinga  Pelz.,  Sitz.  Akad.  Wien.  XLIV.  p.  7   (1861,   ex 
Natt.  M.  S.);  Berlepsch,  Ibis.  1884.  p.  437  (Angostura). 

Cathartes   burrovianus    Berlepsch    &    Hartert,    Novit.    Zool.    IX.  1902. 

p.  in   (in  part). 

This,  the  Zamuro  Oripopo  de  Cabeza  Aniarilla  of  the  Venezue- 
lans along  the  Orinoco,  is  much  less  common  than  C.  pernigra.  Its 
habits  so  far  as  I  have  observed  are  identical  with  those  of  the  pre- 
ceding species  and  the  Turkey  Vulture  of  the  United  States.  Below 
Altagracia  on  the  Orinoco,  no  specimens  were  secured  and  the  species 
was  not  observed;  but  Berlepsch  (/.  c.)  has  recorded  a  specimen  from 
Ciudad  Bolivar  ("Angostura")  and  a  specimen  from  the  U.  S.  National 
Museum  collection,  collected  at  Georgetown,  British  Guiana,  indicates 
that  its  distribution  includes  the  hot  coast  region  as  well  as  the  interior 
savanna  districts. 

The  accompanying  sketch  of  the  head  of  the  adult  female  taken 
at  Caicara,  River  Orinoco,  Venezuela,  August  9,  1898,  (No.  11099 
Cherrie  Collection2),  reproduced  from  my  field  notes,  will  serve  to 
indicate  the  distribution  of  color  on  the  head  better  than  any  mere 
written  description.  The  sketch  of  the  head  of  an  adult  male  (No. 
14666  Cherrie  Collection)  taken  at  Caicara,  May  6,  1907,  is  also  repro- 
duced from  my  field  notes  and  shows  a  somewhat  different  pattern 
of  coloration,  but  whether  the  difference  shown  would  be  constant  in 
a  series  I  am  unable  to  say. 

The  plumage  is  blackish  above,  heavily  washed  with  purplish 
steel  blue  and  a  dark  greenish  bronze,  more  or  less  iridescent — the 
greenish  bronze  shading  predominating;  below,  the  general  color 

JIn  old,  much  worn  plumage,  the  difference  in  color  between  the  quills  freshly  moulted  and  those 
old  and  much  worn  is  very  striking.  The  cream-colored  crown  patch  and  nape  so  prominent  in  other 
examples  is  very  pale.  . 

Specimen  sent  to  the  Rothschild  Museum,  Tring.  England. 

On  his  departure  for  South  America,  Mr.  Cherrie  left  no  sketches  with  the  galley  proof,  so  the 
bulletin  must  go  to  press  without  them. — Ed. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  339 

effect  is  brownish  black,  but  when  looked  at  closely  there  is  seen  to 
be  a  strong  wash  of  dusky  greenish  bronze  over  all.  There  i-s  no  ruff 
about  the  neck;  the  bare  part  of  which  is  much  shorter  than  in 
pernigra  or  aura,  and  the  feathering  extends  well  up  on  the  back 
almost  to  the  nape.  .The  character  most  distinctive  about  the  head  is 
probably  the  fleshy  caruncles  sparsely  scattered  along  the  sides  of  the 
neck  and  (at  least  in  adults)  across  the  nape.  In  skins  of  this  species 
which  I  have  examined,  the  tips  of  the  folded  wings  extend  beyond 
the  tip  of  the  tail  while  in  C.  pernigra  the  tips  of  the  wings  rarely 
reach  to  the  end  of  the  tail.  Pei/.eln's  description  of  this  vulture  is 
full  and  clear  and  requires  no  modification  except  in  regard  to  the 
color  of  the  shafts  of  the  primaries  which  are  said  to  be  white  both 
above  and  below  ("scapis  remigum  primariarum  supra  et  subtus 
albis")  ;  I  have  found  the  color  of  the  upper  side  of  the  shafts  of  the 
primaries  to  depend  entirely  on  the  age  of  the  feather.  Freshly 
moulted  primaries  have  the  shaft  dark  rich  seal  brown  in  color,  but 
with  exposure  this  color  rapidly  fades  to  an  ivory  white ;  in  the  same 
way  the  webs  of  the  primaries  become  more  bronzy  brown  in  hue, 
the  steel  blue  or  purplish  sheen  of  the  freshly  moulted  feathers  rapidly 
fading.  The  under  sides  of  the  shafts  of  the  primaries  are  white  in 
every  stage,  but  in  some  of  the  older  quills  they  become  a  dirty 
yellowish  white.  Only  four  specimens  were  available  for  comparison, 

the  measurements  of  which  are  given  below. 

W      T    Ts 

c?      3750  B  I.  M.         San    Mateo    de   Cai-     May,  1905,  G.  K.  Cherrie    480    228    58 
cara,    River    Ori- 
noco, Venez. 

d1      5207        "  Caicara,    River  Ori-     May,  1907,  G.  K.  Cherrie    464    218    58 

noco,  Venez. 

$  131945  U.  S.  N.  M.  Georgetown,  July,  1891,  474    235    56 

British  Guiana, 
34984  Brazil,  Natterer  470    230    56 

GYPAGUS  PAPA  (Linnaeus). 
Vultur  papa  Linn.,  Syst.  Nat.,  I,  p.  86,  1758  (Brazil). 

Native  name  Rey  de  Zamuro.  Noted  everywhere  along  the  Ori- 
noco and  while  not  common,  it  could  not  be  classed  as  rare.  Speci- 
mens were  collected  at  Caicara. 

CATHARISTA  URUBU  BRASILIENSIS  (Bonaparte). 
Cathartcs  brasiliensis  Bonap.,  Consp.  Av.  I,  1850,  p.  59. 
Cathartes  atratus  Berlepsch,  Ibis  1884;  p.  438  (Angostura). 


340  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Native  name  Zamuro.  Abundant  everywhere,  especially  about 
the  towns  and  villages,  where,  walking-  about  the  streets  and  perched 
on  the  house  tops,  they  are  characteristic  of  every  landscape. 

FALCONIDAE— THE  HAWKS. 

Eighteen  of  the  •  twenty-one  species  recorded  in  the  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert  paper  were  collected  by  the  writer  on  the  Orinoco.  The  other 
three  species  were  recorded  from  points  on  the  Caura  River. 

POLYBORUS  CHERIWAY  (Jacquin). 
Falco  che'riway  Jacq.,  Beitr.  1784.  p.  17.  PI.  4. 
Polyborus  auduboni  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  437  (Angostura). 
Polyborus  cheriway  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  in. 

Native  name  Caricari.  Common.  There  is  much  variation  in  the 
color  of  the  skin  on  the  sides  of  the  head,  of  the  feet  and  of  the  bill. 
An  adult  female  taken  at  Altagracia,  January  31,  had  the  iris  cinna- 
mon; bill  plumbeous  whitish  at  the  tip;  bare  skin  about  face  pinkish 
white;  feet  whitish.  A  male,  taken  at  Caicara  July  4th,  had  the  eye 
cinnamon;  bill  plumbeous  whitish  along  the  cutting  edges;  bare  skin  on 
face  and  cere  grayish  white ;  feet  grayish. 

Birds  of  this  species  are  usually  seen  in  pairs.  In  company  with 
black  vultures,  they  occasionally  feed  on  carrion,  but  more  frequently 
they  are  seen  hunting  through  the  grass  on  the  savannas,  where  they 
capture  small  lizar&s  and  many  insects.  I  have  been  told  by  natives 
that  many  snakes  are  killed  and  eaten  by  these  birds.  They  show 
much  intelligence  in  searching  the  sandy  beaches  for  eggs  of  the  com- 
mon river  turtle.  I  have  seen  on  many  occasions  a  pair  apparently  fol- 
lowing on  the  trail  left  by  a  female  turtle  as  she  crawled  up  over  the 
beach  in  search  of  a  spot  where  she  might  deposit  her  eggs.  The  birds 
would  often  stop  and  scratch  and  probe  about  in  the  sand  with  the  bill 
and  not  infrequently  their  search  was  awarded  by  finding  the  coveted 
eggs.  Again  I  have  seen  a  pair  stationed  by  a  nest  from  which  young 
turtles  were  just  emerging  to  fall  victims  to  the  greed  of  the  Caracara. 
Also  I  have  observed  them  hanging  about  a  nest  of  the  crocodile  where 
young  crocodiles  were  angrily  flopping  themselves  free  from  the  confin- 
ing shell  and  snapping  viciously  at  anything  and  everything  in  sight. 
That  the  Caracara  actually  feeds  on  the  young  crocodile  I  cannot  say, 
but  that  he  is  present  for  any  disinterested  purpose  is  extremely  doubtful. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Caicara  the  Caracara  nests  in  May.  The 
nest  is  placed  in  low  Guaramal — scrub  oak — trees  that  are  found  in 
clusters  dotting  the  savannas. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  34! 


ATER    (Vieillot). 

Daptrius  ater  Vieill.,  Analyse,  1816.  pp.  22,  68. 
Ibycter  ater  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  in. 

Not  observed  by  the  writer,  but  Beebe  collected  a  specimen  at 
Guanoco  in  the  Orinoco  delta. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  specimens  from  Temblador  and  from 
Nicare  (Caura  River). 

IBYCTER  AMERICANUS  (Boddaert). 
Falco  americanus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  25. 
Ibycter  americanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  112. 

Not  uncommon  about  the  rapids  of  Atures,  and  at  Maipures. 

Colors  from  fresh  birds  are  :  eye  carmine  ;  bill  straw  yellow  ;  cere, 
bare  loral  region  and  sides  of  lower  jaw  back  as  far  as  the  rictus, 
plumbeous;  bare  skin  around  eye,  cheeks  and  throat  vermilion:  feet 
vermilion. 

MlLVAGO    CHIMACHIMA    (Vieillot). 

Polyborus  chimachima  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  V.  1816.  p.  259. 

Milvayo     chimachima     Berlepsch.     Ibis.     1884.    p.    437     (Angostura)  ; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  112. 

Native  name  "Chiriquari"  (Chee-ree-qua-ree)  or  Garapatera.  Not 
uncommon.  An  examination  of  the  stomachs  of  several  indicated  that 
this  species  feeds  largely  on  beetles  and  other  insects,  but  is  not  averse 
to  a  diet  of  small  fish  (  !)  and  large  ticks  such  as  infest  cattle  are  greedily 
eaten.  This  hawk  is  not  infrequently  seen  perched  on  the  backs  of 
cattle. 

There  is  considerable  variation  in  the  colors  of  the  fleshy  parts 
about  the  head,  due  to  age,  sex  and  season.  In  nuptial  plumage  the 
colors  seem  to  be  :  eye  dark  mummy  brown  ;  bare  skin  about  eye  chrome 
yellow,  blending  into  a  sulphur  yellow  at  base  of  maxilla  and  mandible; 
bill  very  pale  blue;  feet  pea  green. 

ACCIPITER  BICOLOR  BicoLOR  (Vieillot). 
Sparzrius  bicolor  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  X.  1817.  p.  325. 
Cooperastur  bicolor  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  112. 
Accipiter    bicolor   bicolor    Hellmayr,    Novit.    Zool.    XIII.   1906.  p.  382 

(Caicara,  Orinoco  River). 

Not  common.  Noted  at  Altagracia,  Caicara  and  Quirbana  de 
Caicara  in  the  thinly  wooded  savanna  regions  back  from  the  river. 
Hawks  of  this  species  were  usually  seen  hunting  in  pairs. 


342  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Colors  from  fresh  birds  are  (adult  male  taken  August  n,  1898): 
eye  orange ;  bare  skin  immediately  surrounding  eye  chrome  yellow  ; 
bill  black,  slate  color  at  base  of  mandible ;  cere,  lores  and  remaining  bare 
skin  on  sides  of  face  greenish  sulphur  yellow ;  feet  yellowish  olive  yellow. 

ACCIPITER  TINUS  (Latham). 
Falco  tinus  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  I.  1790.  p.  50. 

Accipiter  tinus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  114  (La  Pricion,  Caura  River). 

Not  observed  on  the  Orinoco.     Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  an 

immature  female  collected  by  Andre  at  La  Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 

RUPORNIS  MAGNIROSTRIS  (Gmelin). 
Falco  magnirostris  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  282. 
Asturina  magnirostris  Berlepsch,  Ibis.  1884.  p.  436  (Riv.  Apures). 
Rupornis  magnirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  112. 

While  this  is  the  most  abundant  of  the  hawks  along  the  middle  Ori- 
noco, I  did  not  learn  of  any  vernacular  name  other  than  the  generic 
term  Gavilan  (hawk). 

Eye  deep  chrome  yellow;  bare  skin  about  eye,  lemon  yellow;  bill 
black,  an  olive  slate  color  at  base ;  cere  orange ;  feet  deep  chrome  yellow. 

A  nest  with  set  of  two  eggs  was  found  at  Caicara,  May  loth,  1907. 
The  nest  was  located  in  the  top  of  a  Chaparo  tree  near  the  border  of  a 
large  tract  of  heavy  timber.  It  was  in -the  extreme  top  of  the  tree  about 
6.10  m.  from  the  ground,  a  bulky  structure  built  up  of  coarse  dry  sticks 
placed  between  upright  forks.  Across  the  top  it  measured  45.7  cm.  in 
diameter  and  the  depth  was  35.5  cm.  There  was  only  a  slight  hollow 
at  the  centre  of  the  top  where  a  lining  of  dry  leaves  formed  a  bed  for 
the  two  eggs.  Incubation  was  far  advanced.  One  egg  was  accidentally 
broken  in  getting  down  from  the  tree,  the  other  egg  is  almost  oval  in 
shape  and  measures  37.5  x  43.5  mm.  In  color  it  is  white,  irregularly 
blotched  with  pale  ferruginous  brownish. 

The  parent  birds  were  both  seen  but  were  wary  and  did  not  ap- 
proach within  range. 

PARABUTEO  UNICINCTUS  (Temminck). 

Falco  unicinctus  Temm.,  PI.  Col.  I,  pi.  313,  1824  ("Bresil"). 
Antenor  unicintus  Berlepsch,  Ibis  1884:  p.  436  (Angostura). 

Berlepsch  (/.  c.}  has  recorded  a  specimen  from  Angostura  (Ciu- 
dad  Bolivar). 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  343 

URUBITINGA  URUBITINGA  (Gmelin). 
Falco  urubitinga  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  265. 
Urubitinga  zonura  Berlepsch,  Ibis  1884.  p.  436  (Angostura). 
Urubitinga  urubitinga  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  113. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black,  slate  color  at  base ;  cere  and  at  corners  of 
the  mouth  chrome  yellow ;  lores  and  bare  skin  about  eye  sulphur  yellow ; 
feet  chrome  yellow. 

Common,  noted  at  all  points  visited  along  the  river.  On  two 
occasions  I  caught  birds  of  this  species  feeding  on  eggs  of  the  Hoatzin 
( Opisthocomus  hoasin  ) . 

URUBITINGA  ANTHRACINA  (Nitzsch). 
Falco  anthracina  Nitzsch,  Syst.  Pteryl.  1840:  p.  83  (Mexico). 

Urubitinga  anthracina  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.   Nat.   Sci.   Phil.    1913:  p.   195, 
(La  Pedrita,  Rio  Uracoa). 
Stone  records  it  from  the  delta  country. 

HETEROSPIZIAS    MERIDIONALIS    (Latham). 
Falco  meridionalis  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  I.  1790.  p.  36. 
Heterospizias  meridionalis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  113. 

Native  name  Pita  Venado.  Not  uncommon  in  thinly  wooded  savan- 
na regions. 

Eye  golden  brown ;  bill  black,  blackish  at  base ;  cere  chrome  yellow ; 
feet  chrome  yellow. 

This  species  is  thoroughly  detested  by  the  hunter  who  may  be 
bent  on  bagging  venison,  for  his  game  is  very  frequently  startled  by 
the  alarm  notes  of  this  hawk,  which  perched  on  the  topmost  branch 
of  some  tall  tree  is  sure  to  note  the  skulking  form  of  the  hunter  and 
instantly  sound  an  alarm  understood  by  all  the  woods  people. 

TACHYTRIORCHIS  ALBICAUDATUS  EXIGUUS  Chapman. 
Tachytriorchis   albicaudatus   exiguus   Chapman,    Bull.    Am.    Nat.    Hist. 
XXXIV:  1915:  637  (Type  ex  Barrigon,  Rio  Meta,  Colombia). 
Chapman  records  a  specimen  from  Maripa,  Venezuela. 

BUSARELLUS  NiGRicoLLis  (Latham). 
Falco  nigricollis  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  I.  1790.  p.  35. 
Busarellus  nigricollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  113. 


344  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Native  name  Gavildn  Colorado.  Common  along  the  wooded  banks 
of  streams  and  ponds  throughout  the  middle  Orinoco  region. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black,  blackish  slate  at  base ;  cere  blackish  slate ; 
corners  of  the  mouth  plumbeous ;  feet  greyish  white. 


BUTEOGALLUS  AEQUiNocTiALis  (Gmelin). 

Falco  aequinoctialis  Gmelin,  Syst.  Nat.,  I:  1788:  265  (Cayenne). 
Bwteogallus  aequinoctialis  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913 :  p.  195 

(Pedernales). 

Recorded  from  the  delta  region  by  Stone. 

ASTURINA  NITIDA  (Latham). 
Falco  nitida  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  I.  1790.  p.  41. 
Asturina  nitida  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  113. 

Rare,  not  met  with  on  either  my  first  or  second  expedition,  but 
a  fine  adult  male  was  collected  at  Caicara  on  April  30,  1907. 

Eye  vandyke  brown;  bill  black,  slate  at  base  of  mandible;  cere  and 
bare  skin  about  gape  chrome  yellow ;  feet  chrome  yellow ;  claws  black. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  recorded  a  single  specimen  from  Suapure 
on  the  Caura  River. 

MICRASTUR  BRACHYPTERUS  (Temminck). 

Falco  brachypterus  Temm.,  Rec.  PI.  col.  tab.  116,  141  (1822). 
M icrastur  semitorquatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  113. 

Not  common.  In  1898  two  specimens  were  taken  at  Caicara.  an 
adult  male  in  April  and  an  immature  female  in  July.  In  July.  1907. 
an  adult  female  was  collected  at  the  same  point.  The  stomach  in 
each  case  contained  remains  of  small  lizards. 

Colors  from  fresh  birds ;  eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black,  base  of  mandible 
yellowish  oil  green;  feet  deep  chrome  yellow,  with  an  olive  wash,  espe- 
cially on  the  toes. 

CIRCUS  BUFFONI  (Gmelin). 

Falco  Buffoni  Gmelin,  Syst.  Nat.  I:  1788:  p.  277  (Cayenne). 
Circus  buffoni  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913:  194.  (La  Pedrita, 

Rio  Uracoa). 

Recorded  from  the  delta  region  by  Stone. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  345 

GERANOSPIZIAS  CAERULESCENS  (Vieillot). 
Sparvius  caerulescens  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  X.  1817.  p.  318. 
Geranospisias  caerulescens  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  114. 

Twice  observed  at  Altagracia ;  once  at  Capuchin  (nearly  opposite 
the  mouth  of  the  Apure  River),  and  once  at  Caicara.  The  colors  of 
an  immature  female  taken  at  Altagracia,  November  15,  1897,  were: 
eye  chocolate  brown  with  a  light  outer  ring;  bill  black;  cere  black;  feet 
bright  cadmium  orange,  claws  black.  Adult  female,  Capuchin,  August  21, 
1898,  eye  carmine;  bill  black  plumbeous  at  base  of  mandible;  cere  black; 
feet  scarlet  vermilion.  Colors  of  the  adult  male  exactly  like  those  in  the 
adult  female. 

SPIZAETUS  ORNATUS  (Daudin). 
Falco  ornatus  Daud.,  Traite  d'Orn.  II.  1800.  p.  77. 
Spizaetus  ornatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  114. 

Rare.  One  was  seen  on  the  upper  river  at  Nericagua  where  it 
was  found  in  the  dense  forest  bordering  the  river.  The  specimen 
was  not  at  all  shy  and  was  finally  shot  from  a  dead  limb  not  over  fifteen 
feet  from  the  ground.  It  proved  to  be  an  adult  male.  The  colors 
from  the  fresh  bird  were :  eye  chrome  yellow ;  bill  black,  slate  grey  at 
base  of  mandible;  lores  bluish  grey;  cere  canary  yellow;  feet  bright 
creamy  yellow. 

HERPETOTHERES  CACHINNANS  FULVESCENS  Chapman. 
Herpetotheres  cachinnans  fulvescens   Chapman,   Bull.   Am.  Mus.    Nat. 

Hist.  XXXIV:  1915:  (Type  ex  Alto  Bonito  Antioquia,  Colombia). 
Herpetotheres  cachinnans  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.  1913:  p.  195 

(Pedernales)  Orinoco  delta. 

Chapman  records  a  specimen  from  the  Orinoco  delta. 

ELANUS  LEUCURUS  (Vieillot). 

Milvus  leucurus  Vieillot,  N.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  XX:  1818:  p.  563  (Para- 
guay). 

Elanus  leucurus   Stone,   Proc.  Ac.   Nat.   Sci.   Phil.,    1913:  p.    196   (La 
Pedrita,  Rio  Uracoa). 
Stone  records  specimens  from  the  delta  region. 

LEPTODON  UNCINATUS  (Temminck). 
Falco  tmcinatus  Temm.,  PI.  Col.,  103-105,  1824  (Rio  Janeiro). 

Rare.  Not  taken  on  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco,  but  in 
1905  an' immature  female  was  taken  at  Caicara  June  I5th.  In  1907 


346  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  IULLETIN   2.  6. 

an  adult  male  was  taken  at  the  same  point  in  June  and  a  female  in 
July,  and  a  second  female  (immature)  was  taken  at  Las  Barrancas 
in  August.  In  every  case  the  crop  was  examined  and  found  to  be 
full  of  the  bodies  of  snails  from  which  the  shells  had  been  removed. 
Iris  primrose  yellow;  maxilla  black,  mandible  greenish  sulphur 
yellow  with  distal  half  of  cutting  edge  slate  color;  cere  parrot  green; 
feet  deep  chrome  yellow. 

LEPTODON  CAYENNENSIS  (Gmelin). 
Falco  cayennensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  263. 
Leptodon  cayennensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  114. 

Rare.  A  single  female  of  this  species  was  taken  at  Caicara, 
February  23,  1898,  on  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco. 

Eye  gallstone  yellow ;  bill  black ;  cere  deep  chrome  yellow ;  feet  deep 
chrome  yellow. 

ROSTRHAMUS    SOCIABILIS    (Vieillot). 

Herpetotheres  sociabilis  Vieillot,  N.  Diet.  d'Hist.    Nat.,    XVIII:    1817: 

318  (Corrientes  and  Rio  de  la  Plata). 
Rostrhamus  sociabilis  Stone,  Proc.   Ac.    Nat.    Sci.    Phil.    1913:    p.    195 

(Cano  Corosal). 

The  Everglade  Kite  was  observed  as  far  as  Ciudad  Bolivar.  Stone 
records  it  from  the  delta  region. 

GAMPSONYX  SWAINSONI  Vigors. 
Gampsonyx  swainsoni  Vig.,  Zool.  Journ.  II.  1825.  p.  69;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  114. 

Native  name  Gavilan  primito.     Not  uncommon. 

This  and  the  succeeding  species  live  in  the  thinly  wooded  savanna 
regions  of  the  middle  Orinoco  and  were  not  observed  beyond  the  falls 
of  Atures.  Specimens  were  collected  at  Agua  de  Salada,  Ciudad 
Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara.  They  feed 
chiefly  on  insects,  such  as  locusts,  small  lizards,  etc.,  but  parts  of 
small  birds  were  found  in  the  stomach  of  two  of  those  examined. 

Eye  chestnut;  bill  black;  cere  (very  inconspicuous)  blackish;  feet 
chrome  yellow,  claws  black. 

A  nest  containing  two  downy  young  and  one  egg  (pipped) 
together  with  the  female  parent  was  collected  at  Agua  Salada  de 


CHERR1E  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  347 

Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  7,  1907.  The  nest  was  about  4.57  m.  from  the 
ground  at  the  extreme  tip  of  a  horizontal  branch. of  a  scrub  oak 
(Chaparo}  in  a  thinly  wooded  savanna  region.  It  was  not  concealed 
by  foliage  either  from  above  or  from  below.  Aly  first  impression  on 
seeing  the  nest  was  that  it  was  a  -slightly  overgrown  nest  of  a  mock- 
ingbird (Mimus).  It  is  composed  entirely  of  small  dry  twigs  loosely 
laid  together.  Outside  it  measures  12  cm.  deep  by  20  cm.  in  diameter 
across  the  top.  The  saucer-shaped  nest  cavity  is  5  cm.  deep  in  the 
centre,  being  unusually  deep  for  the  nest  of  a  hawk.  The  outer  edges 
of  the  nest  and  the  ground  beneath  it  were  white  with  excrement 
from  the  incubating  birds.  The  mother  bird  sat  very  close  and  did 
not  leave  the  nest  until  I  had  rapped  the  tree  vigorously. 

The  single  egg  which  I  succeeded  in  saving,  is  nearly  elliptical, 
being  very  slightly  smaller  at  one  end  than  at  the  other.  It  is  a 
glossless  white,  marked  about  the  smaller  end  with  large  irregular 
blotches  of  chestnut  brown.  It  measures  29.5  x  24.25  mm. 

The  juvenal  plumage  (downy  young)  is  white  below;  above  pale 
vinaceous  cinnamon,  the  wings  being  darkest  and  the  neck  and  head 
palest;  there  is  a  small  dusty  spot  above  the  eye  and  the  loral  region 
is  dusky  blackish. 

CERCHNEIS  SPARVERIUS  ISABELUNUS  (Swainson). 
Falco  isabellinus  Swains.,  Anim.  in  Menag.  1838.  p.  281. 
Cerchneis     sparverius     isabellinus     Berlepsch,     Ibis.      1884.     p.     437 

(Angostura). 
Tinnunculus  sparverius  isabellinus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  114. 

Not  uncommon.  Observed  at  all  points  visited  from  Las  Bar- 
rancas in  the  delta  region  up  as  far  as  the  falls  of  Maipures. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black  at  tip,  plumbeous  at  base ;  cere  orange 
yellow  pfeet  orange  yellow,  claws  black. 

FALCO  FUSCO-CAERULESCENS  Vieillot. 

Falco  fusco-caerulescens  .Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XI.  1817.  p.  90. 
Hypotriorchis  femoralis  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  437  (Angostura). 
Hypotriorchis  fuscocaerulescens  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  115. 

Not  common.  Not  observed  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Apure 
River.  Pairs  hunt  together,  apparently  aiding  one  another  in  the 
capture  of  smaller  birds.  I  have  seen  this  species  feeding  on  Campy- 


348  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.   6. 

lorhynchus,  Gallinago  and  Thamnophilus,  and  have  found  the  stom- 
achs of  other  specimens  full  of  beetles  and  other  insects ;  while  one 
examined  contained  parts  of  small  fish,  and  another  the  hair  and 
bones  of  some  small  mammal. 

A  considerable  variation  was  observed  in  the  color  of  the  soft 
parts.  A  female  taken  a,t  Caicara  July  4,  1898,  had  the  eye  dark  seal 
brown ;  skin  about  eye  cinereous ;  bill  plumbeous  at  base,  blackish  at  tip ; 
cere  pale  pea  green ;  feet  Naples  yellow.  Another  female,  taken  on  the 
same  date,  had  a  light*  seal  brown  eye ;  bill  blackish  at  tip  changing 
through  slate  color  to  greenish  grey  at  base;  cere  and  skin  about  eye 
chrome  yellow;  feet  deep  chrome  yellow. 

FALCO  RUFIGULARIS  (Daudin). 

Falco  rufigularis  Daud.,  Traite  d'Orn.  II.  1800.  p.  131. 
Hypotriorchis  rufigularis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  115. 

Rare.  Four  specimens,  two  pairs,  were  taken  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  falls  of  Atures  on  my  first  expedition,  and  an  adult  male  was 
taken  at  Caicara,  July  4,  1907.  In  the  stomach  of  the  last  were  found 
the  remains  of  a  Ground  Dove,  Chaemcpelia.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
record  a  specimen  "from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River.  Not  seen  else- 
where. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  slate  black,  greenish  plumbeous  at  base  of 
mandible;  feet  chrome  yellow,  claws  black. 

FALCO  COLUMBARIUS  Linnaeus. 
Falco  columbarius  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  90. 
Hypotriorchis  columbarius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  115. 

Two  Pigeon  Hawks  were  seen  and  collected  in  1898,  an  immature 
female  at  Altagracia  in  January,  and  an  adult  male  at  Caicara  in 
March.  The  stomach  of  the  latter  contained  parts  of  a  swallow, 
Diplochelidon  melanoleuca. 

PANDION  HALIAETUS  CAROLINENSIS,  (Gmelin). 
Falco  carolinensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  263. 
Pandion  haliactus  carolinensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   115. 

The  American  Osprey  is  occasionally  seen  along  the  Orinoco  as 
far  up  the  river  as  I  explored.  A  fine  adult  male  was  taken  at  Caicara, 
March  10,  1808. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  349 

STRIGIDAE— THE  BARN  OWLS. 

TYTO  PERLATA  Lichtenstein. 

Striv  pcrlata  Licht.,  Verz.  Doubl.  p.  59,  1823. 

Strix  flammea  pratincola  Berlepsch,  Ibis.  1884.  P-  435  (RJo  Apure). 

In  1884  Berlepsch  recorded  a  specimen  from  "Rio  Apure."    Not  ob- 
served by  the  writer. 

BUBONIDAE— THE  HORNED  OWLS  AND  THEIR  ALLIES. 

Only   three   species   are   included    in   the    Berlepsch   and    Hartert 
paper.    Two  additional  species  are  added  in  the  present  list1. 

SPEOTYTO  CUNICULARIA  BRACHYPTERA  Richmond. 

Speotyto  brachyptera  Richm.,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.  XVIII.  1896.  p.  663. 
Speotyto  cunicularia  brachyptera  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   116. 

Not  common,  but  found  everywhere  throughout  the  savanna 
region. 

Eye  lemon  yellow ;  bill  olive  yellow ;  feet  dusky  olive. 

OTUS  CHOLIBUS  (Vieillot). 

Strix  choliba  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VII.  1819.  p.  39. 
Pisorhina  choliba  (Psubsp.)  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  116. 

Not  common,  but  noted  at  all  points  visited  along  the  Orinoco. 

Eye  lemon  yellow;  bill  greyish  horn  color;   feet  dusky  brownish. 

A  nest  of  this  species  containing  a  single  fresh  egg  was  found 
at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  April  6,  1898.  The  nest  was  a  natural  hollow 
in  a  limb  of  a  scrub  oak,  about  one  metre  and  a  half  from  the  ground. 
No  nesting  material  had  been  taken  into  the  nest  cavity.  A  second 
nest  similarly  placed  was  found  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar, 
April  1 8,  1907.  This  nest  contained  a  single  egg  which  was  taken 
together  with  the  female  parent  bird.  The  egg  is  white,  short  ovate 
in  form  and  measures  35  x  29.5  mm. 

RHINOPTYNX  CLAMATOR  (Vieillot). 
Bubo  clamator  Vieillot,  Ois.  de  1'America  Sept.  p.  52.  PI.  20.  1807. 

This  species  was  noted  at  various  points  along  the  middle  Ori- 

'While  no  specimens  were  obtained.  I   feel  that  a  third  additional  species  should  be  added.     Several 
times  at  Las  Barrancas  an  owl  was  observed  that  I  identified  as  Pulsalrix  perspicillata. 


35O  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

noco,  but  only  one  specimen  was  collected,  an  adult  male  taken  at 
Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Bolivar,  April  10,  1907. 

Eye  vandyke  brown;  bill  black;  feet  dusky  slate  color,  claws  black. 

BUBO  VIRGINIANUS  scoTiNus  Oberholser. 
Bubo  virginianus  scotinus  Oberholser,   Sci.   Bull.    Mus.   Bklyn.   Inst.    I. 

1908.  p.  371   (Type,  ex  Caicara,  Orinoco  River). 

Only  one  specimen.  The  species  was  observed  at  Ciudad  Bolivar, 
Caicara  and  at  Perico. 

GLAUCIDIUM  BRASILIANUM  PHALAENOIDES   (Daudin). 
Strix  phalaenoides  Daud.,  Traite  d'Orrt.  II.  1800.  p.  206. 
Glaucidium  brasilianum  phalaenoides  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p..  116. 

Native  name  Mochuelo.  Rare.  A  single  specimen  of  this  species 
was  taken  at  Perico,  near  the  falls  of  Atures,  September  21,  1898. 

GLAUCIDIUM  JARDINEI  (Bonaparte). 
Phalaenopsis  jardinii  Bonap.,  Compt.  Rend.,  XLI,  1855.  p.  654  (Andes 

of  Quito). 
Glaucidium  jardinii  Berlepsch,  Ibis  1884.  p.  436  (Angostura). 

Berlepsch  (/.  c.)  has  recorded  a  specimen  "in  the  brown  phase'' 
from  Angostura  (Ciudad  Bolivar),  Orinoco  River. 

COLUMBIDAE— THE  PIGEONS. 

Eleven  species  were  observed  on  the  Orinoco.  The  majority,  at 
least,  are  resident  wherever  found,  although  the  number  of  individuals 
of  a  given  species  may  vary  greatly  with  the  season.  This  is  especially 
true  of  those  forms  which  feed  largely  on  fruits. 

The  larger  specie.8  are  much  sought  after  as  game  birds  and 
while  they  may  be  very  abundant,  they  are  so  exceedingly  wary  that 
only  the  most  skillful  of  hunters  succeed  in  getting  a  good  bag  in  a  day's 
hunting. 

As  far  as  my  observations  went,  none  of  the  species  nest  in 
colonies. 

Contrary  to  the  rule  that  pigeons  lay  two  eggs,  Columba  ruHna 
was  ascertained  to  deposit  a  single  egg  as  a  normal  clutch. 

COLUMBA  SPECIOSA  Gmelin. 

Columba  speciosa  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  78;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 
p.  116. 
Observed   at    Maipures,   only,   during    December  and    January, 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  351 

where  it  was  not  uncommon.  The  presence  of  this  species  in  any 
locality  seems  to  be  governed  largely,  if  not  entirely,  by  the  ripening 
of  the  fruits  on  which  they  feed. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  Indian  purple,  eye-lids  burnt  carmine; 
bill  poppy-red  with  the  distal  one-fourth  pearl  white;  feet  heliotrope 
purple. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a  specimen  collected  by  Klages  at 
Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

COLUMBA   PURPUREOTINCTA   Ridgway. 

Columba  pur  pure  otincta  Ridgw.,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.,  X.,  p.  594  note,  1887; 

Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  117. 

Common  in  the  savanna  regions  about  Maipures,  on  the  upper 
river  during  December.  Not  observed  below  the  falls  of  Attires. 

Eye  heliotrope  purple,  eye-lids  burnt  carmine;  bill  black;  feet  dark 
rose-purple. 

COLUMBA  RUFINA  Temminck  &  Knip. 
Columba  rufina  Temm.  &  Knip,  Pig.  I.  1808-11.  p.  59.  PI.  24;  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  117. 

Native  name  Turca.  Common  on  the  upper  Orinoco  as  well  as 
along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river.  This  species  feeds  almost 
exclusively  on  fruits ;  it  is  chiefly  arboreal,  frequenting  the  less 
heavily  wooded  regions  and  borders  of  the  dense  forest,  and  is,  except- 
ing during  the  nesting  season,  gregarious. 

Eye  rose  red;  bill  black;  feet  rose  red,  claws  dusky. 

Nests  of  this  species  were  found  in  Moriche  palms  and  the 
tangled  thickets  that  grow  in  and  about  marshy  places,  also  in  the 
scrub-oaks  scattered  over  the  savannas.  The  nest  is  a  very  slight 
platform  of  dead  twigs  located  at  from  two  to  five  metres  from  the 
ground.  Only  one  egg  is  laid.  An  egg  with  incubation  well  ad- 
vanced, taken  at  Caicara,  June  5th,  is  white,  elliptical  ovate  in  form 
and  measures  39.3  x  26  mm. 

ZENAIDA  RUFICAUDA  ROBINSONI  Ridgway. 

Zenaida  vinaceorufa  Ridgw.,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.  VII.  1884.  p.  176. 
Zcnaida  ruficauda  vinaceorufa  BerlepjCh  &  Hartert,  p.  118. 
Zenaida  ruficauda  robinsoni  Ridgway,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.  XXVIII 
1915:  p.  107  (Honda.  Colombia). 


352  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Common  in  the  savanna  regions  on  the  lower  Orinoco,  but  not 
seen  above  the  first  falls.  This  species  feeds  both  on  fruits  and  seeds, 
occasionally  being  seen  in  flocks  with  C.  rufina  feeding  on  fruits  in 
high  trees,  but  usually  feeding  on  the  ground  in  the  open  savanna. 

There  are  two  specimens  in  the  American  Museum  collection,  one 
from  Maripa,  Caura  River  and  the  other  Ciudad  Bolivar. 

Eye  dusky  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  dusky  carmine. 

A  nest  found  at  Caicara  June  18,  1907,  contained  a  single  fresh 
egg.  The  nest  was  in  a  low  Moriche  palm  about  a  metre  and  a  half 
from  the  ground. 

LEPTOTILA  VERREAUXI  (Bonaparte). 
Leptoptila  vereauxi  Bp.,  Consp.  Av.  II,  1864.  p.  73. 
Leptotila  verreauxi  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  118. 

Native  name  Palonia  pipa;  Paloma  rabo  bianco. 

Common  in  the  thickly  wooded  districts,  more  especially  where 
there  is  much  undergrowth,  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river; 
not  seen  above  the  falls  of  Atures. 

Eye  orange  buff,  bare  skin  about  eye  china  blue ;  bill  black ;  feet  lake 
red. 

A  nest  was  found  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  April  n,  1898  (No. 
10704  Coll.  Geo.  K.  and  Stella  M.  Cherrie).  The  nest  was  a  slight 
platform  of  twigs  placed  in  a  thicket  about  1.75  m.  from  the  ground. 
It  contained  one  young  bird,  nearly  ready  to  fly  and  an  addled  egg. 
The  egg  was  a  dirty  yellowish  white  color,  ovate  in  form  and  meas- 
ured 28  x  20.8  mm. 

This  species,  I  believe,  feeds  exclusively  on  the  ground. 

LEPTOTILA  RUFAXILLA  RUFAXILLA  (Richard  &  Bernard). 
Columba  ruf axilla  Rich.  &  Bern.,  Act.  Soc.  Hist.  Nat.  Paris,  I.   1792. 

p.  118. 
Leptotila  ruf  axilla  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  118. 

Native  name  Palonia  pica. 

Found  on  the  upper  and  lower  stretches  of  the  river,  but  most 
abundant  at  and  beyond  the  falls  of  Atures.  It  frequents  the  tim- 
bered areas,  and  feeds  chiefly,  if  not  exclusively,  on  the  ground. 

Eye  olive  yellow ;  bill  black ;  bare  skin  of  lores  maroon  purple ;  feet 
burnt  carmine. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  353 

LEPTOTILA  RUFAXILLA  DUBUSI  (Bonap.). 

Leptoptila  dubusi  Bp.,  Consp.  Av.  Ill:  1854:  74  (Rio  Napo,  Ecuador). 
Leptotila  ruf axilla  dubusi  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  XXXIV : 

I9I5  :  P-  37°  (Foot  of  Mt.  Duida,  upper  Orinoco). 

I  have  examined  the  single  specimen  (in  the  Am.  Mus.  collection), 
from  the  foot  of  Mt.  Duida,  that  has  been  identified  as  above  by  Chap- 
man. It  is  probable  that  this  race  of  ruf  axilla  is  not  found  below  the 
great  rapids  of  Atures  in  the  Orinoco. 

CHAEMEPELIA  PASSERINA  GRANATINA  Bonaparte. 
Chamaepclia  granatina  Bp.,  Consp.  Av.  II.  1854.  p.  77. 
Columbigallina  passerina  granatina  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  48. 

Native  name  Poloquita;  "Carralera." 

Common  throughout  the  savanna  regions.  Associates  in  small 
flocks,  but  does  not  breed  in  colonies. 

Eye  rose  pink;  bill  black  at  tip,  Naples  yellow  at  base;  feet  flesh 
white. 

Nests  usually  on  the  ground  but  occasionally  in  low  trees.  A 
nest  was  found  at  Caicara  May  29,  1905.  It  contained  two  fresh  eggs. 
The  nest,  a.  slight  affair  of  slender  twigs  and  grass  stems,  was  on 
the  ground  between  the  rocks  on  a  steep  hillside.  The  eggs  are 
elliptical  ovate  in  form  and  measure  21.5  x  16  and  23.2  x  15.7  mm. 

This  and  the  two  succeeding  species  frequent  the  open  savannas 
and  are  exclusively  ground  feeders. 

CHAEMEPELIA  RUFIPENNIS  RUFIPENNIS  (Bonaparte). 
Talpacotia  rufipennis  Bp.,  Consp.  Av.  II.  1854.  p.  79. 
Columbigallina  rufipennis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  1 19. 

Native  name  Potoquita  Colorado. 

Common  in  the  savanna  regions. 

Adult  male,  eye  orange  yellow;  bill  dusky;  feet  pale  reddish  (pink). 
An  adult  female  had  the  eye  yellowish  flesh  color,  eye-lids  lemon  yellow ; 
bill  black  at  tip,  dusky  orange  at  base ;  feet  pale  flesh  white. 

The  nest  is  on  or  near  the  ground  and  neither  the  nest  nor  the 
eggs  of  this  species  are  distinguishable  from  those  of  C.  p.  granatina. 

A  nest  containing  one  fresh  egg  was  found  at  Caicara  June  14, 
1905.  The  nest,  a  slight  platform  of  dead  twigs  and  grass  stems,  was 
placed  between  the  stumps  of  dead  leaf  stems  on  the  side  of  a  -small 


354  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

Moriche  Palm  about  one  metre  from  the  ground.  The  egg  is  a 
short  elliptical  ovate  in  form  and  measures  22.8  x  16.8  mm.  The 
parent  bird  was  shot. 


CHAEMEPELJA  MINUTA  (Linnaeus). 

Columba  minuta  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  285. 
Columbigallina  minuta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  119. 

Specimens  of  this  species  taken  at  Ciudad  Bolivar  by  H.  Klages  in 
April,  1898,  were  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert.  Not  seen  by  the 
writer. 

CLARAVIS  PRETIOSA   (Ferrari-Perez). 

Peristera  pretiosa  Ferrari-Perez,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.  IX.  1886.  p.  175. 
Claravis  pretiosa  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  119. 

Not  noted  on  my  first  expedition.  One  specimen,  a  female,  was 
taken  at  Caicara,  June  14,  1905,  and  in  1907,  it  was  not  uncommon 
at  Caicara. 

Specimens  taken  on  the  Caura  River  in  December,  1900,  by  M. 
Andre,  were  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert. 

Birds  of  this  species  frequent  the  borders  of  thickly  wooded 
areas.  They  feed,  I  believe,  entirely  on  the  ground. 

SCARDAFELLA  SQUAMATA  RiDGWAYi  Robinson  &  Richmond. 

Scardafella  ridgwayi  Robins.  &  Richm.,  Proc.  U.  S.  N.  M.  XVIII.  1896. 

p.  660;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  119. 

Native  name  Mariquita.  Abundant  at  Bolivar  and  Altagracia,  much 
less  common  at  Caicara,  and  not  observed  on  the  upper  Orinoco. 

Eye  clay  color ;  bill  blackish ;  feet  flesh  color. 

This  species  usually  nests  on  the  ground  but  occasionally  nests 
are  found  in  low  trees  and  bushes,  from  i  to  1.5  m.  above  the  ground. 
I  noted  nests  with  fresh  eggs  from  October  to  June. 

A  nest  containing  two  eggs  taken  at  Caicara,  October  28,   1898. 

was  placed  in  a  thorny  palm  about   1.5  metres   from  the  ground.    It 

was  more  substantial  and  rather  more  cup-shaped  than  is  usual  with 

the  pigeons.     The  eggs  were  fresh,  pure  white,  nearly  oval  in  form 

and  measured  21.5  x  16.5  and  21.0  x  17.0  mm. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  Of  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  355 

i—  CURASSOWS,  GUANS,  CHACHALACAS. 

MlTUA  TOMENTOSA    (Spix). 

Crax  tomentosa  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  49,  PI.  43. 
Mitua  tomentosa  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  120. 

Native  name  Pauji  cnlo  Colorado.  Common  along  the  middle 
stretches  of  the  river  and  up  as  far  as  the  falls  of  Atures,  but  replaced 
on  the  upper  river  by  Crax  alector. 

Eye  bay  brown ;  bill  pale  horn  color  at  tip,  bright  vinaceotis  basally 
on  mandible  and  at  centre  of  maxilla  where  the  color  deepens  and 
darkens  rapidly  up  to  the  base;  ridge  of  culmen  blackish;  feet  orange 
rufous. 

The  Paujis  are  much  esteemed  as  game  birds  throughout  Vene- 
zuela— or  perhaps  I  should  say  as  table  birds,  for  some  of  the  qualities 
esteemed  by  the  sportsman  in  the  game  bird  are  lacking.  It  is  a  bird 
of  the  thick  forest  regions,  especially  of  localities  where  there  is  -a 
dense  undergrowth,  and  when  pursued  seeks  safety  by  running,  rather 
than  by  flight. 

A  nest,  containing  two  eggs  with  incubation  far  advanced,  was 
found  at  Las  Gaucas  on  the  San  Feliz  River  (a  tributary  of  the 
Cuchivero  River),  June  2,  1897.  The  nest  was  about  two  metres 
from  the  ground,  against  the  stem  of  a  Corobo  palm  at  a  point  where 
several  of  the  great  leaf-stems  had  been  partially  broken  down  and 
formed  a  sort  of  hollowed  platform  into  which  leaves  from  adjoining 
trees  had  either  fallen,  or  been  carried,  and  then  lined  with  the 
narrow  green  leaflets  from  the  palm  itself. 

The  eggs,  which  are  normally  a  lusterless,  parchment-like  white, 
are  much  stained  (with  brown  varying  in  shade  from  wood  brown 
to  cinnamon)  from  the  wet,  decaying  leaves  on  which  they  lay.  They 
are  ovate  in  form  and  measure  84  x  59  and  84  x  59  mm.  The  entire 
egg  is  thickly  covered  with  small  rounded  granules,  producing  an 
almost  sandpaper-like  surface. 

This  set  of  eggs  was  collected  on  the  2nd  of  June.  They  were 
immediately  packed  and  jolted  about  on  the  back  of  a  pack-mule  for 
a  distance  of  about  seventy-five  miles,  yet  on  the  8th  of  July  two  young 
curassows  emerged  from  these  eggs  and  seemed  little  the  worse  for 

'In  addition  to  the  species  observed  by  the  writer  and  recorded  by  Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  the  following 
have  also  been  recorded  from  the  Orinoco  Region: 

Pauxi  pauxi  (Linnaeus),  is  recorded  from  the  river  Cassiqucari  and  from  the  Orinoco  by  Pelzeln. 
Orn.  Bras.  (1870).  p.  289. 

Or/alis  ruficauda  Jard.  is  recorded  from  the  Rio  Apure  and  the  Rio  Orinoco  by  Berlepsch.  Ibii. 
1884  p.  440. 


356  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE)  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

the  rough  handling-  they  had  had.  The  two  halves  of  each  of  the  eggs 
were  carefully  put  together. 

Another  set  of  two  eggs  found  near  Caicara  June  i6th,  1907, 
was  incubated  by  a  common  hen  for  a  period  of  twenty  days,  when 
they  hatched.  These  eggs,  the  parts  of  which  were  carefully  put 
together,  measure  18  x  57  and  77  x  55  mm. 

The  first  pair  of  chicks  lived  only  eleven  days.  The  second  pair 
were  nineteen  days  old  and  growing  rapidly  when,  through  an  acci- 
dent, they  were  killed.  From  the  very  day  when  they  were  born, 
they  evinced  a,  desire  for  a  high  perch  at  night,  not  seeming  to  have 
any  fancy  for  being  brooded  by  their  foster  mother. 

CRAX  ALECTOR  Linnaeus. 
Crax  alector  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  269;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert. 

.        p.   120. 

Native  name  Pauji  culo  bianco.  Not  common.  Seen  only  at  Mai- 
pures  and  beyond. 

PENELOPE  JACUPEBA  Spix. 
Penelope  jacupeba  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1823.  p.  54,  PI.  71 ;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  120. 

Birds  probably  of  this  species  were  seen  several  times  about 
Caicara,  but  none  were  taken.  The  species,  however,  was  taken  in 
February,  1901,  on  the  Caura  River  by  Andre  and  recorded  by  Ber- 
lepsch and  Hartert. 

ORTALIS  RUFICAUDA  Jardine. 

Ortdida  ruficauda  Jard.,  Ann.  Mag.  N.  H.,  XX,  p.  374.  (1847). 
Ortalis  ruficauda  Berlepsch,  Ibis  1884.  p.  440  (Rio  Apure). 

Recorded  from  Orinoco  Region  (Rio  Apure)  by  Berlepsch  (/.  c.}. 

ORTALIS  MOTMOT  (Linnaeus). 

Phasianus  motmot  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  271. 
Ortalis  motmot  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  120. 

Native  names  Guacharaca,  Gnacharaca  cerro.  Xot  uncommon  on 
the  upper  Orinoco  and  on  the  San  Feliz  River,  but  not  observed  below 
the  falls  of  Atures.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a  specimen  from  La 
Pricion  on  the  Caura  River. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  357 


CUMANENSIS  (Jacquin). 
Crax  cumanensis  Jacq.,  Beytr.  1784.  p.  25. 
Pipile  cumanensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  121. 

Native  name  Guacharaca.  Common  on  the  upper  river  from  alx>ve 
the  falls  of  Maiptires  onward. 

Female  (No.  11876  Cherrie  Coll.) 

Eye  chestnut  brown;  bill  slate  black  at  tip  and  pearl  blue  from 
anterior  point  of  nostrils  and  gonys  to  base,  where  the  color  blends 
with  the  pale,  pearl  grey  of  the  bare  skin  on  side  of  the  face;  feet 
bright  brick  red.  Chin  and  upper  throat  azure  blue,  the  color  darkening 
to  slate  black  on  lower  part  of  bare  neck  and  on  the  wattles. 

The  nesting  season  probably  begins  in  February  as  a  female  shot 
February  17,  1899,  was  laying,  as  indicated  by  the  active  condition 
of  the  ovaries. 

The  Guacharacas  like  the  Paujis  are  much  sought  after  by  hunters. 

TETRAONIDAE—  PARTRIDGE,  QUAIL,  ETC. 

ODONTOPHORUS  GUJANENSIS  (Gmelin). 
Tetrao  gujanensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  767. 
Odontophorus  gujanensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  121. 

Not  observed  by  the  writer,  but  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Har- 
tert from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  Riven 

EUPSYCHORTYX  soNNiNi  (Temminck). 

Perdix  sonnini  Temm.,  Hist.  Nat.  Gen.  Pig.  III.  1815.  p.  451. 
Eupsychortyx  sonnini  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  121. 

Native  name  Perdiz.  Common  everywhere  throughout  the  savanna 
regions  of  the  lower  and  middle  Orinoco,  but  not  observed  above  the 
falls. 

OPISTHOCOMIDAE—  THE  HOATZIN. 

OPISTHOCOMUS  HOAZIN  (Muller). 

Phasianus  hoasin  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement,  1776.  p.  125. 
Opisthocomus  cristatus  Berlepsch,  Ibis  1884.  p.  440  (Angostura). 
Opisthocomus  hoazin  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  122. 

Native  names  Guacharaca  de  Agua,  Chinchena.  Common 
along  the  thickly  wooded  banks  of  the  Orinoco  and  its  tributaries 


358  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

from  the  mouth  up  almost  to  the  first  falls  above  Perico.  It  keeps 
to  the  tops  of  the  low  trees'  which  overhang  the  water  and  on  the 
buds  and  leaves  of  which  it  feeds.  Colonies  occupy  the  same  general 
area  during  the  entire  year,  but  at  the  approach  of  the  breeding 
season,  which  varies  considerably  in  different  localities  along  the 
river,  the  flocks  break  up  into  pairs,  each  pair  keeping  to  a  restricted 
area  of  the  general  breeding  ground's. 

The  breeding  season  about  Caicara  lasts  from  early  in  June  until 
mid  September.  In  1905  I  took  the  first  set  of  eggs  June  nth. 
Freshly  completed  nests  had  been  noted  as  early  as  May  25th,  when 
I  went  scouting  for  them,  but  at  that  time  they  must  have  been  from 
five  to  seven  metres  above  the  water.  The  nest  found  June  nth  was 
between  three  and  four  metres  above  the  water  at  nearly  what  would 
be  high  water  mark.  On  June  i8th,  seven  sets  of  eggs  were  collected. 
With  the  exception  of  one  set  of  two,  all  were  fresh. 

In  my  field  record  for-  that  date  I  made  the  following  entry: 
Although  Hoatzin  are  never  hunted  and  very  rarely  disturbed  in 
their  haunts  they  are  nevertheless  decidedly  shy.  Sitting  birds  would 
always  leave  the  nest  when,  or  even  before,  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
same.  The  parent  birds  never  remained  near  the  nests  and  by  actions 
manifested  but  little  concern  in  what  was  going  on.  Nests  are 
apparently  never  placed  very  close  together  as  in  a  heronry.  I  have 
rarely  found  them  nearer  than  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  metres  from 
one  another. 

Of  the  seven  nests  containing  eggs  found  on  this  date,  none  were 
over  1.2  m.  above  the  level  of  the  water.  The  average  was  about 
one  meter,  although  one  was  only  about  45  cm.  up.  At  the  rate  the 
river  is  rising  the  lowest  of  these  nests  would  be  under  water  before 
the  week  is  over. 

On  June  22nd  seven  additional  sets  of  eggs  were  collected.  The 
nests  were  on  an  average  between  i  to  1.25  m.  above  the  water  at  that 
time,  which  means  that  they  would  be  at  the  water  level,  or  below,  by 
the  time  the  eggs  would  be  hatched.  • 

My  observations  indicate  that  the  nesting  season  on  the  Orinoco 
is  controlled  to  a  large  degree  by  the  water  level  in  the  river.  The 
ovaries  of  nearly  all  the  Hoatzin  collected  near  Bolivar  about  the 
middle  of  April  indicated  the  approach  of  the  breeding  season.  Speci- 
mens collected  at  Caicara  early  in  May  did  not  show  a  more  active 
condition  of  the  ovaries,  but  as  I  have  stated  above,  completed  nests 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  359 

were  found  there  May  25th  and  eggs  June  nth.  From  the  I5th  to 
the  25th  of  June  the  laying  season  at  Caicara  was  at  its  height  and 
the  river  was  rapidly  nearing  high  water  mark. 

Basing  my  conclusions  on  the  condition  of  the  ovaries  in  the 
birds  taken  at  Bolivar,  early  in  April,  I  returned  to  that  locality  the 
first  week  in  July,  expecting  to  find  young  Hoatzin.  \Yhat  was  my 
surprise  to  find  the  Bolivar  birds  nest  building — no  young;  and  only 
one  set  of  eggs  taken  July  4th.  The  colony  that  I  had  been  observing 
at  Bolivar  made  their  home  in  the  thick  tangle  of  tree  tops  bordering 
a  small  lake  which  occupies  a  natural  basin  in  an  extensive  area  of 
low  land  separated  from  the  river  by  high  rocky  embankments.  The 
rapidly  rising  waters  of  the  Orinoco  did  not  break  over  this  embank- 
ment until  June  2Oth.  The  Hoatzin  apparently  had  not  commenced 
serious  nesting  until  after  that  date !  Did  they  deliberately  await  the 
rising  of  the  water? 

The  nest  of  the  Hoatzin  is  a  slight  platform  of  dead  twigs, 
loosely  put  together,  out  towards  the  tips  of  long  slender  branches, 
and  frequently  with  but  very  frail  support.  Sometimes  the  nests  are 
almost  concealed  by  surrounding  leaves,  again  they  are  placed  in  dead 
or  leafless  trees  where  surrounding  foliage  does  not  offer  any  con- 
cealment. If  the  nest  is  high  enough  the  eggs  usually  can  be  seen 
from  below  through  the  nest  walls. 

The  young  Hoatzin  is  almost  naked  at  birth  and  a  shiny  jet 
black,  with  olive  wash,  in  color.  Within  a  day  or  two  their  eyes 
are  wide  open  and  if  a  nest  be  approached  without  extreme  caution 
it  will  be  found  empty.  But  a  little  quiet  patience  will  probably 
reward  the  collector — at  the  end  of  a  few  minutes  the  young  will  be 
seen  making  their  way  from  out  of  the  water,  into  which  they  had 
deliberately  dropped;  along  and  over  the  limbs  back  to  the  nest. 
Their  locomotion  at  this  time  is  effected  by  the  aid  of  the  bill,  the  feet, 
and  the  claws  that  in  the  young  are  found  on  the  end  of  the  thumbs 
and  index  fingers. 

In  a  series  of  thirteen  sets  of  eggs,  a  considerable  variation  in 
size,  shape,  and  markings  is  noticeable.  The  general  shape  is  ovate, 
varying  from  a  rather  long  ovate  to  short  ovate,  and  occasionally 
there  is  an  approach  toward  the  oval.  (The  two  eggs  of  set  No. 
13898  Cherrie  Collection  are  almost  perfectly  oval).  The  general 
color  is  a  pinkish  cream  color,  varying  considerably  in  shade  in  the 
various  sets,  the  markings  consist  of  dots,  spots  and  splashes,  scat- 


360  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

tered  all  over  the  surface  of  the  eggs  (but  more  thickly  at  the  larger 
end)  in  two  series,  the  outer  of  a  reddish  brown  color  which  overlies 
the  inner  series  which  are  of  a  pale  lavender  color.  The  average 
size  of  a  series  of  24  eggs  was  32.9  x  46.2  mm. 

I  have  found  four  and  five  eggs  in  a  set  but  normally  either  two 
or  three  would  seem  to  constitute  a  full  set,  and  when  more  than 
three  are  found  I  suspect  it  is  the  result  of  two  females  laying  in  the 
same  nest1. 

TINAMIDAE— THE  TINAMOUS. 

CRYPTURUS  CINEREUS  (Gnielin). 
Tetrao  cinereus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  768. 
Crypturus  cinereus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  122. 

Observed  and  collected  only  at  Maipures,  where,  while  not  un- 
common, it  was  rarely  seen,  because  of  its  exceeding  wariness. 

CRYPTURUS  soui  soui  (Hermann). 

Tinamus  Soui  Hermann,  Tab.  Affin.  Anim.  (1783)  :  p.  165  (Cayenne). 
Tetrao  pileatus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  51. 
Crypturus  pileatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  122. 

Native  name  P<oncha.  This,  like  the  preceding  species,  is  very 
wary  and  not  often  seen.  I  secured  specimens  at  Xericagua  only. 
The  natives  assured  me  that  neither  species  of  Poncho,  was  found  below 
the  falls  of  Atures. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  this  species  from  La  Pricion  on 
the  Caura  River. 

CRYPTURUS  VARIEGATUS  (Gmelin). 
Tetrao  variegatus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  768. 
Crypturus  variegatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  122. 

Recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  from  La  Pricion  on  the 
Caura  River.  Not  observed  by  the  writer. 

PLATALEIDAE— THE  SPOONBILLS. 

AJAIA  AJAJA  (Linnaeus). 
Platalea  Ajaja  Linnaeus,. Syst.  Nat.  Ed.  XII:  1766:  237. 

Common  in  the  delta  region  and  noted  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Rio  Apure. 

"In  the  MUSEUM  NEWS  (Brooklyn  Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences),  IV.  1909.  pp.  5O-53,  I  have  pub- 
ished  a  more  general  and  extended  account  of  the  Hoatzin. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  361 

IBIDIDAE— THE  IBISES. 

THERISTICUS  CAUDATUS  (Boddaert). 
Scolopax  caudatus  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  57. 
Theristicus  caudatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  122. 

Native  name  Tautaco.  Found  throughout  the  savanna  region  on 
the  lower  and  middle  stretches  of  the  river,  but  nowhere  common. 
Feeds  along  the  borders  of  ponds  and  marshes  and  in  the  open 
savannas.  An  adult  male  taken  at  Caicara  May  4,  1905,  had  the 
colors  of  fleshy  parts  as  follows :  eye  scarlet ;  bill  black ;  bare  skin  about 
the  base  of  the  bill  around  the  eye  and  on  the  throat  black ;  feet  geranium 
pink. 

HARPIPRION  CAYENNENSIS  (Gmelin). 
Tantalus  cayennensis  Cm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  652. 
Harpiprion  cayennensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   1123. 

Not  common.  Specimens  were  secured  at  Altagracia,  Caicara, 
and  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  all  on  the  middle  Orinoco. 

Colors  in  fresh  birds  are :  eye  dark  Indian  purple ;  bill  pea  green  at 
tip,  darkening  to  a  bottle  green  at  base ;  bare  skin  about  eye  and  on  chin 
and  throat  indigo  blue;  feet  malachite  green. 

Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record  a  specimen  from  Cangrejo  on  the 
Caura  River. 

PHIMOSUS  BERLEPSCHI  Hellmayr. 
Phimosus  berlepschi  Hellmayr,  Verh.  Zool.  bot.  Ges.  Wien.  LJII.  1903.  p. 

247,  ex  Orinoco  River,  Altagracia,  Caicara). 
Phimosus  nudifrons  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  123. 

Native  name  Coro-coro.  The  name  is  also  applied  to  Harpiprion 
cayennensis.  Common  along  the  middle  stretches  of  the  Orinoco  (not 
noted  above  the  falls),  frequenting  the  banks  of  streams  and  ponds. 

Eye  carmine;  bill,  in  immature,  wood  brown,  blackish  at  tip;  in 
adults,  reddish  liver  brown ;  feet  dark  sepia  brown. 

CERCIBIS  OXYCERCA  (Spix). 

Ibis  oxycercus  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  69,  PI.  87. 
Cercibis  oxycerca  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  124. 

Native  name  Taro-taro.  Common;  frequenting  marshy  places  on 
the  open  savanna  and  the  banks  of  ponds  and  streams. 


362  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.       SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Adult  male,  eye  vandyke  brown;  bare  skin  about  eye  lake  red; 
bill  hazel  brown;  bare  skin  on  throat  Chinese  orange,  feet  burnt  carmine. 

GUARA  RUBRA  (Linnaeus). 

Tantalus  ruber  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  241. 
Eudocimus  ruber  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  124. 

Native  name  Coro-coro  Colorado.  Abundant  in  the  delta  region, 
but  comparatively  rare  along  the  middle  Orinoco,  and  not  observed 
beyond  the  falls. 

ARDEIDAE— THE  HERONS. 

The  Orinoco,  first  in  the  delta  region,  with  its  enormous  areas  of 
swamp  and  woodland,  and  then  in  the  vast  thinly  wooded  savannas 
that  border  the  middle  stretches  of  the  river  and  its  tributaries  (espe- 
cially the  Apure)  with  their  numberless  shallow  ponds  and  marshes 
heavily  bordered  with  tangled  forest  growth,  furnishes  ideal  conditions 
for  herons  and  other  species  of  similar  habits,  and  is  indeed-  the  home  of 
myriads  of  these  birds. 

While  the  number  of  species  of  herons  found  is  not  large — only 
thirteen — the  number  of  individuals  is  probably  as  great  or  greater  than 
that  of  any  other  group. 

ARDEA  cocoi  Linnaeus. 
Ardea  cocoi  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  237;  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884. 

p.  438  (Angostura)  ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  124. 

Native  name  Garza  morena.  Common  along  the  lower  and  middle 
stretches  of  the  Orinoco  and  its  tributaries.  It  is  one  of  the  character- 
istic birds  of  the  Orinoco  where  its  habit  of  perching  high  up  on  the 
branches  of  the  tall  trees  on  the  river  bank,  where  it  is  afforded  an 
unobstructed  view  in  all  directions,  makes  it  a  conspicuous  object  in  the 
landscape.  Exceedingly  wary,  it  takes  flight  at  the  approach  of  a 
canoe  long*  ere  the  hunter  is  within  range.  The  natives  hunt  them  for 
food  but  for  my  own  part  I  do  not  consider  the  meat  a  delicacy. 

Adult  male,  eye  bright  straw  yellow;  bill  rather  bright  Gladstone 
yellow,  blackish  slate  at  base  of  maxilla  (from  middle  of  nostrils  pos- 
teriorly) and  a  narrow  dusky  streak  along  the  basal  cutting  edge  of  the 
mandible ;  extreme  base  of  mandible  and  bare  skin  about  eye  bottle  green ; 
feet  black.  The  blackish  slate  and  Gladstone  yellow  on  the  maxilla 
blend  into  one  another  very  gradually. 


CHERKIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  363 

EGRETTA  CANDIDISSIMA  (Gmelin). 
Ardea  candidissima  Gm.,  .Syst.  Nat.,  I,  1789,  p.  633. 
Ardea  candidissima  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  438  (Angostura). 

Native  names  Garza  bianco  pcquina;  Egret;  Osprey;  Garza  de 
pluma.  Abundant,  and  like  its  larger  relative  H.  egretta,  more  widely 
distributed  during  the  rainy  season  than  during  the  dry  season. 

HERODIAS  EGRETTA  (Gmelin). 
Ardea  egretta  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  629. 
Herodias  egretta  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  124. 

Native  name  Garza  bianco  grande.  Abundant.  During  the  rainy 
season  this  species  has  the  entire  vast  savanna  region  as  a  feeding 
ground  and  at  that  time  is  widely  distributed  over  the  open  savannas; 
but,  as  the  savannas  become  dry  and  parched  with  the  advance  of  the 
dry  season,  the  flocks  of  egrets  are  driven  closer  and  closer  together 
near  the  banks  of  streams  and  ponds  in  their  search  for  suitable  feeding 
grounds. 

Eye  straw  yellow ;  bill  dark  chrome  yellow ;  bare  skin  about  base  of 
bill  and  eye  citron  yellow ;  feet  black. 

FLORIDA  CAERULEA  CAERULEA  (Linnaeus). 
Ardea  caerulea  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  I.  1758.  p.  143. 
Florida  caerulea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  124. 

Not  common.  Specimens  collected  only  at  Caicara,  but  noted 
also  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia  and  Quiribana  de  Caicara.  Klages 
took  a  specimen  at  Mato  River  which  is  recorded  by  Berlepsch  and 
Hartert. 

AGAMIA  AGAMI   (Gmelin). 
Ardea  agami  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  629. 
Agamia  agami  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  125. 

tRare.  An  immature  male  (recorded  by  Berlepsch  and  Hartert) 
was  taken  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  in  the  belt  of.heavy  timber  border- 
ing Quiribana  Creek,  April  4,  1898;  and  an  adult  male,  near  the  same 
point  May  I,  1907.  The  colors  on  the  latter  bird  were: 

Eye  ochraceous  rufus ;  bill  black  above,  dusky  grey  with  greenish 
wash  below ;  feet  slate  black  anteriorly,  dusky  pea  green  posteriorly. 

The  colors  of  the  immature  male  taken  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara 


364  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

were :  eye,  orange  ochraceous  with  the  posterior  quarter  section  of  the 
iris  seal  brown ;  maxilla  black,  mandible  dusky  olive  brown ;  feet  and  legs 
blackish  slate  for  the  anterior  half  and  dusky  sage  green  behind. 

NYCTICORAX  NYCTICORAX  NAEVIUS  (Boddaert). 
Ardea  naevia  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  56. 
Nycticorax  gardeni  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  439  (Angostura). 
Nycticorax  nycticorax  naevius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  125. 

Common,  frequenting  the  timbered  belts  bordering  the  Orinoco  and 
the  small  streams  tributary  thereto. 

NYCTANASSA  VIOLACEA  (Linnaeus). 

Ardea  violacea  Linnaeus,  Syst.  Nat.  Ed.  X:  1758:  p.  143  (Carolina). 
Nyctanassa  violacea  Stone,  Proc.  Phil.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  1913 :  p.  193 

(Corosal). 

Stone  has  recorded  a  specimen  from  the  delta  region. 

COCHLEARIUS  COCHLEARIUS  Linnaeus. 
Cancroma  cochlearia  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  237;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  125. 

Common  about  Ciudad  Bolivar  and  up  at  least  as  far  as  Caicara 
and  Quiribana  de  Caicara,  frequenting  the  wooded  banks  of  the  small 
creeks  flowing  into  the  Orinoco. 

Fresh  birds  have  the  eye  dusky;  maxilla  black,  mandible  dusky 
sulphur  yellow,  blackish  at  tip;  bare  skin  of  chin  and  throat  sulphur 
yellow;  feet  oil  green. 

PILHERODIUS  PILEATUS  (Boddaert). 

Ardea  pileata  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  54. 
Pilherodius  pileatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.   125. 

Not  common.  Observed  at  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara 
and  Quiribana  de  Caicara. 

The  colors  taken  from  a  freshly  killed  adult  male  were :  eye,  olive 
brown;  bill,  horny  pearl  grey  at  tip,  changing  gradually  into  plumbeous 
which  blends  gradually  into  the  cobalt  blue  of  the  basal  two-thirds  of  the 
maxilla,  and  abruptly  into  the  lilac  colored  central  part  of  the  mandible; 
basal  part  of  mandible  and  bare  skin  about  face  cobalt  blue;  feet  cin- 
ereous. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  365 

SYRIGMA  SIBILATRIX  (Temminck). 

Ardea  sibilatrix  Temm.,  PI.  Col.  V.  1824.  p.  271 ;  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884 

p.  438  (Rio  Apure). 
Syrigma  sibilatrix  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  126. 

Native  name  Garza  Carricia.  Not  common.  Adult  male  and 
female;  eye  pearl  grey;  bill  rose  pink,  blackish  at  the  tip;  feet  black. 
At  the  point  of  union  between  the  blackish  tip  and  rose  pink  body  of 
the  bill  there  is  a  short  space  of  whitish  fading  into  the  two  adjoining 
colors  abruptly,  while  between  the  rose  pink  and  azure  blue  of  the  max- 
illa there  is  a  narrow  band  of  cobalt  blue  into  which  the  two  adjoining 
colors  merge  abruptly. 

This,  the  Snowy  Egret,  and  other  species  of  herons,  are  often  seen 
about  the  native  houses,  sometimes  tied  with  a  string  about  one  leg,  but 
more  frequently  they  are  at  liberty  within  the  patios,  the  wing  having 
been  amputated  at  the  wrist  to  prevent  their  flying  away. 

BUTORIDES  STRIATA  (Linnaeus). 
Ardea  striata  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10  I.  1758.  p.  144. 
Butorides   cyanurus   Berlepsch,    Ibis,    1884..  p.    439    (Angostura;     Rio 

Apure). 
Butorides  striata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  126. 

Native  name  Chicuaco.  Not  common,  or  at  least  rarely  seen.  I 
noted  it  at  Bolivar,  and  at  other  points  on  the  river  as  far  up  as  the 
falls  of  Atures. 

Colors  taken  from  a  freshly  killed  adult  female  were :  eye  lemon 
yellow,  bare  skin  about  eye  sulphur  yellow ;  bill  black  above,  pale  dusky 
greenish  below ;  lores  black;  feet  olive  green. 

Two  nests  were  found  in  the  tree  tops  on  a  submerged  island  in 
the  Orinoco  near  Caicara  July  18,  1907.  One  contained  two,  the  other 
three  eggs.  In  the  two  eggs  incubation  was  far  advanced;  in  the  set 
of  three  it  had  just  begun.  The  nests  were  each  slight  platforms 
of  dry  sticks.  The  nest  containing  the  three  eggs  was  only  about  15 
cm.  above  the  water,  and,  as  the  river  was  rising  rapidly,  would  have 
been  under  water  before  the  next  morning!  The  other  nest  was  about 
one  metre  above  the  water. 

The  eggs  are  ovate  approaching  elliptical  in  form,  and  pale  green- 
ish greyish  Nile  blue  in  color.  The  set  of  three  measure  28  x  38;  28.25 
x  38  and  28.25  x  37  mm. 


366  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

TIGRISOMA  LINEATUM  (Boddaert). 
Ardea  lineata  Bodd.,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783.  p.  52. 
Tigrisoma  brasiliensc  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  439  (Rio  Apure). 
Tigrisoma  lineatum  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  126. 

Native  name  Pajaro  Boca.  Common,  frequenting  the  thickly 
wooded  banks  of  small  streams  flowing-  into  the  Orinoco.  In  life  adults 
have  the  iris  bicolored,  the  inner  part  being  chrome  yellow  which  blends 
rather  abruptly  into  a  walnut  brown  on  the  outer  half;  bill  clove  brown 
along  the  ridge  of  the  culmen,  merging  into  a  mummy  brown  along  the 
sides,  bare  skin  on  chin,  throat  and  around  eye  sulphur  yellow ;  bare  skin 
at  base  of  mandible  citron  yellow ;  gonys  horny  straw  yellow ;  feet  olive 
in  front  and  olive  green  on  the  posterior  half. 

ZEBRILUS  PUMILUS  (Boddaert). 
Ardea  pumila  Boddaert,  Tabl.  PI.  Enl.  1783:  p.  54. 

Rare.  Not  taken  or  seen  on  my  first  expedition  to  the  Orinoco. 
The  fresh  colors  of  an  adult  male  taken  at  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Boli- 
var, April  n,  1905,  were:  Eye  straw  yellow;  bill  dusky  above,  pale 
yellowish  horn  color  below ;  feet  anteriorly  olive  greenish,  brighter  lemon 
yellowish  posteriorly.  A  single  specimen  was  seen  in  the  thickets  form- 
ing the  breeding  ground  of  the  Hoatzin  at  Caicarita,  Caicara,  July  18, 
1907. 

PALAMEDEIDAE— THE  SCREAMERS. 

Only  one  of  the  species  of  Screamers  has  been  noted  on  the 
Orinoco. 

PALAMEDEA  CORNUTA  Linnaeus. 
Palamedea  cornuta  Linnaeus,  Syst.  Nat.,  Ed.  XII:  1766:  p.  232  (Brazil, 

Guiana). 
Anhima  cornuta  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.  Nat.  Sci.  Phil.,  1913:  p.  194  (Manimo 

Riv.). 

I  found  the  Horned  Screamer  abundant  at  Las  Barancas,  and  Stone 
reported  it  very  common  on  the  Manimo  River. 

PHALACROCORACIDAE— ANHINGAS,     CORMORANTS,    ETC. 

ANHINGA  ANHINGA  (Linnaeus). 

Plotus  anhinga  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  218;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert, 
p.  127. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  367 

Native  name  Cotua  and  Agujita;  also  sometimes  applied  to  the 
Cormorant,  P.  vigua.  Common  on  the  lower  and  middle  stretches  of  the 
river  but  not  observed  ab/>ve  the  falls. 

PHALACROCORAX  VICUA  (Vieillot). 

Hydrocorax  vigua  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  VIII.  1817.  p.  90. 
Phalacrocorax  vigua  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  127. 

Native  names  Cotua,  Cotua  Zamura,  Cotua  Nigro. 

Abundant  all  along  the  river,  at  least  as  far  as  the  falls  of  Atures. 

RALLIDAE— THE  RAILS. 

PORZANA    ALBICOLUS    (Vieillot). 

Rallus  albicollis  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXVIII.  1819.  p.  561. 
For sana  albicollis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  p.  127. 

Rare.  A  single  specimen  was  taken  in  the  marsh  bordering  the 
brook  at  Quiribana  de  Caicara  in  April,  1898. 

Colors  taken  from  the  freshly  killed  bird  were :  eye  bright  vandyke 
brown;  upper  half  of  maxilla  olive  green,  lower  half  of  maxilla  and 
entire  mandible  apple  green ;  feet  dusky  brown. 

ARAMIDES  CAJANEA  (Miiller). 

Fulica  cajanea  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Supplement.  1776.  p.  119. 
Aramides  cayennensis  Berlepsch,  Ibis.  1884.  p.  440  (Angostura). 
Aramides  cajanea  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  128. 

This  species  was  abundant  in  the  thick  tangles  of  vines  and  bushes 
bordering  small  streams  and  ponds,  and  was  noted  at  all  points  visited 
along  the  Orinoco.  In  the  early  morning  their  loud  strange  call  notes 
could  be  heard  on  every  side.  They  are  extremely  wary  and  the  gun- 
ner must  .be  alert  if  he  catches  one  as  it  darts  across  some  narrow  path 
before  him.  The  meat  is  delicious. 

In  an  adult  female  the  eye  was  ochraceous  rufous,  eyelids  scarlet; 
bill  apple  green ;  feet  burnt  carmine. 

ARAMIDAE— THE  LIMPKINS  OR  COURLANS. 

ARAM  us  SCOLOPACEUS  (Gmelin). 
Ardea  scolopacea  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  647. 


368  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Aramus  scolopaceus  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  440.     (Angostura).    Ber- 

lepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  128. 

Native  name  Carrao.  Not  common  and  only  observed  at  Altagracia 
and  Caicara,  where  it  seemed  to  keep  to  the  thickly  wooded  borders  of 
the  ponds  adjacent  to  the  main  river. 

EURYPYGIDAE— THE  SUX  BITTERNS. 

EURYPYGA  HELIAS   (Pallas). 

Ardea  helias  Pall.,  Neue  Nord.  Beytr.  II.  1781.  p.  48,  PI.  3. 

Eurypyga  helias  Berlepsch,  Ibis.  1884.  p.  440  (Angostura)  ;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  128. 

Native  name  Tigana.  Not  uncommon  along  the  thickly  wooded 
banks  of  ponds  and  streams  where  it  keeps  on  or  near  the  ground.  The 
Tigana  is  often  seen  in  a  semi-domesticated  state  in  the  native  houses 
where  they  are  esteemed  for  the  number  of  spiders  and  insects  they 
destroy. 

PSOPHIIDAE— THE    TRUMPETERS. 

PSOPHIA  CREPITANS  Linnaeus.. 
Psophia  crepitans  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.   10.  I.   1758.  p.  154;  Berlepsch  & 

Hartert,  p.  128. 

Abundant  in  the  delta  region.  Noted  repeatedly  at  Las  Barran- 
cas, and  Beebe  secured  specimens  at  Guanoco.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert 
record  specimens  collected  by  Klages  at  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

OEDICNEMIDAE— THE      STONE      PLOVERS      OR      THICK- 
KNEES. 

OEDICNEMUS  BISTRIATUS  (Wagler). 
Charadrius  bistriatus  Wagl.,  Isis,  1829.  p.  648. 

Oedicnemus  bistriatus  Berlepsch,  Ibis,   1884.  p.  44  (Angostura)  ;  Ber- 
lepsch &  Hartert,  p.  128. 
Native  name  Alcaravan  Negro. 

Not  uncommon.  Found  on  the  open  savannas  only.  Usually 
seen  in  pairs. 

Eye  lemon  yellow ;  bill  black,  yellowish  olive  buff  at  base  of  man- 
dible; feet  olive  yellow. 


CHERRIE  :  ORNITHOLOGY  OP  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  369 

CICONIIDAE— JABIRU ;  STORKS;  WOOD  IBIS. 

EUXENURA  MAGUARI  (Gmelin). 
Ardea  maguari  Gmel.,  Syst.  Nat.,  I,  1789,  p.  623  (Brazil). 

Although  no  specimens  were  collected  this  species  was  seen 
sufficiently  near  to  make  identification  certain.  It  was  noted  at  Las  Bar- 
rancas, Altagracia.,  San  Mateo  de  Caicara  and  at  Las  Guacas  and  La 
Cascabel  on  the  San  Feliz  River. 

JABIRU  MYCTERIA  (Lichtenstein). 
Ciconia  mycteria  Licht,  Abh.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berlin   (Phys.  Kl.),  for 

1816-17,  1819,  163  (Brazil). 

Native  name  Garzon  Soldado. 

Widely  distributed  throughout  the  Orinoco  Region  from  the 
delta  up  as  far,  at  least,  as  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  River.  Speci- 
mens were  collected  at  Las  Guacas  and  La  Cascabel  on  the  San 
Feliz  River  (near  its  union  with  the  Cuchivero  River),  and  it  was 
observed  at  Las  Barrancas,  Altagracia,  San  Mateo  de  Caicara,  Quin- 
bana  de  Caicara  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Meta  River. 

MYCTERIA  AMERICANA  Linnaeus. 

Mycteria  americana  Linn.,  Syst.  Nat.,  ed.  10,  I,  1758,  140. 
Tantalus  loculator  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  437  (Angostura). 

Noted  all  along  the  Orinoco  up  as  far  as  the  falls  of  Atures. 

JACANIDAE— THE  JACANAS. 

JACANA  JACANA  Linnaeus. 

Parra  jacana  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  259,  part;  Berlepsch,  Ibis, 
1884.  p.  440  (Angostura) ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  129. 
Native  name  Gallineto  de  Laguna. 

Common.  Frequents  the  banks  of  ponds  and  streams  and  open 
marshes.' 

Adult  female:  eyes  slate  grey;  bill  ochre  yellow;  shield  maroon 
purple;  feet  dusky  olive  grey. 

CHARADRIIDAE— PLOVERS,  SANDPIPERS,  ETC. 
Eight  species  were  collected  on  my  first  expedition  and  recorded 
by  Berlepsch  and  Bartert.     Twelve  are  included  in  the  present  li-st, 
and  there  is  little  doubt  that  at  least  as  many  more  will  be  discovered 
when  the  delta  region  will  have  been  carefully  worked  over. 


370  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE   MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

HOPLOXYPTERUS  CAYANUS  (Latham). 
Charadrius  cayanus  Lath.,  Ind.  Orn.  II.  1790.  p.  749. 
Hoploxypterus  cayanus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  129. 

Native  name  Alcaravancito.  Common  along  the  shores  of 
streams  and  ponds.  This  species  does  not  associate  in  flocks  and 
rarely  more  than  two  or  three  are  -seen  together.  It  was  noted  at 
all  points  visited. 

Eye  seal  brown,  eye-lids  scarlet;  bill  black;  feet  scarlet. 

BELONOPTERUS  CAYENNENSIS  (Gmelin). 
Parra  cayennensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  706. 
Vanellus  cayennensis  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  441  (Angostura). 
Belonopterus  cayennensis  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  129. 

Native  name  Alcaravana  de  corbata;  Alcaravan. 

Common  on  the  open  savannas.  Usually  seen  in  pairs.  On  the 
middle  Orinoco  the  nesting  season  begins  in  April. 

This  lapwing  is  thoroughly  detested  by  the  native  deer  hunters 
from  the  habit  it  has  of  following,  often  for  long  distances,  any  one  it 
may  see  walking  about  among  the  little  clumps  of  trees  and  bushes 
that  here  and  there  dot  the  savannas,  and  screaming  its  displeasure. 
The  deer  seem  to  understand  that  cry  and  are  instantly  on  the  alert. 

Eye  red  lake,  eye-lids  and  chin  lilac;  bill  black  at  tip,  lilac  at  base; 
feet  Indian  purple. 

AEGIALITIS  SEMIPALMATA  (Bonaparte). 

Charadrius  semipalmatus  Bonap.,  Journ.  Acad.  N.  S.  Phila.,  V,  1825,  p. 
98  (Coast  of  New  Jersey). 
Found  in  the  delta  region  from  October  to  April. 

/EGIALITIS  COLLARIS  (Vieillot). 

Charadrius  collaris  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXVII.  1818.  p.  136. 
Aegialitis  collaris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  129. 

A  not  uncommon  resident  species  usually.  Solitary  or  seen  in 
pairs  on  the  sand  beaches  along  the  river  during  the  dry  season  and 
on  the  open  savannas  during  the  wet  season. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  feet  flesh  color. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  371 

HIMANTOPUS  MEXICANUS  (Miillcr). 

Charadriiis  me.vicaniis  Mull.,  Syst.  Nat.  Suppl.,  1776,  p.  117  (Mexico). 
Abundant  about  the  great  marshes  near  Las  Guatos  on  the  San 
Feliz  River  (Terrenos  dell  Tigre)  during  May,  1907. 

NUMENIUS  HUDSONICUS  Latham. 

Numenius  hudsonicus  Lath.,  Index  Orn.  II,  1790,  p.  712  (Hudson  Bay). 
This  species  was  noted  at  Altagracia  in  November,  1897,  but  no 
specimens  were  secured. 

HELODROMAS  SOIJTARIUS   (Wilson). 
Tringa  solitaria  Wils.,  Am.  Orn.  VII.  1813.  p.  58,  PI.  58,  fig.  3. 

Helodromas  solitarius  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  129. 

Occasionally  met  with  from  early  in  August  until  the  first  of 
February.  Observed  at  Las  Barrancas,  Agua  Salada  de  Ciudad  Boli- 
var, Ciudad  Bolivar,  Altagracia,  Caicara.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record 
a  specimen  also  from  Suapure  on  the  Caura  River. 

TOTANUS  FLAVIPES  (Gmelin). 
Scolopax  flavipes  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  659. 
Totanus  flavipes  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  130. 

Small  flocks  were  seen  about  Altagracia  from  the  last  of  Decem- 
ber until  February. 

TOTANUS  MELANOLEUCUS  (Gmelin). 
Scolopax  melanoleucus  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  659. 
Totanus  melanoleucus  Berlepsch,  Ibis,  1884.  p.  441    (Angostura) ;  Ber- 
lepsch &  Hartert,  p.  130. 

Small  flocks  of  Greater  Yellow-legs  were  seen  at  Altagracia  sev- 
eral times  during  the  month  of  November,  1897. 

ACTITIS  MACULARIA  (Linnaeus). 

Tringa  macularia  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12.  I.  1766.  p.  249. 
Tringoides  macularia  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  130. 

The  Spotted  Sandpiper  is  to  be  seen  along  the  Orinoco  from  early 
in  September  until  the  first  of  April.  Berlepsch  and  Hartert  record 
it  also  from  the  Caura  River. 


3/2  BROOKLYN  INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN  2.  6. 

PISOBIA  FUSCICOLLIS  (Vieillot). 

Tringa  fuscicollis  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  d'Hist.  Nat.  XXXIV,  1819,  p.  461 
(Paraguay). 
Common  at  Las  Guacos,  San  Feliz  River  during  May,  1907. 

GALLINAGO  PARAGUAIAE  (Vieillot). 

Scolopax  paraguaiae  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  III.  1816.  p.  356. 
GaUinago  paraguaiae  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  130. 

Native  name  Cogelas  todas.  Not  uncommon  along  the  marshy 
borders  of  small  streams  that  cross  the  savannas,  and  widely  dis- 
tributed over  the  savannas  themselves  during  the  rainy  season.  The 
species  was  noted  at  all  points  visited  along  the  river. 

GALLINAGO  BRASILIENSIS  (Swainson). 
Scolopax    Brasiliensis    Swainson,    Faun.    Boreal.    Am.     1831 :    p.    400 

(Brazil). 
Gallinago  brasiliensis  Stone,  Proc.  Ac.    Nat.    Sci.    Phil.    1913 :    p.    192. 

(Orinoco  delta,  Cano  Corosal). 

Stone  records  specimens  from  Cano '  Corosal  (Orinoco  delta 
country).  - 

ANATIDAE— DUCKS,  GEESE,  ETC. 

CAIRINA  MOSCHATA  (L.). 

Anas  moschata  L.,  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  10.  1758.  p.  124. 
Cairina  moschata  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  131. 

Native  names  Pato  real;  Pato  negro.    Common. 

Eye  seal  brown ;  bill  black ;  bare  skin  about  face  black,  the  caruncles 
at  base  of  bill  and  about  face  black  at  their  base,  pale  scarlet  at  their 
free  ends;  feet  black. 

The  Pato  real  when  not  feeding  spends  much  of  its  time  in  the 
large  trees  bordering  streams.  During  the  rainy  season  it  feeds 
almost  entirely  on  the  open  savannas  but  as  the  dry  season  advances 
it  is  driven  more  to  the  wooded  banks  of  ponds  and  streams.  It  is 
exceedingly  wary  -and  the  native  hunter  considers  himself  fortunate 
to  bag  a  pato  negro.  They  may  be  often  seen  completely  domesticated 
and  breeding  about  the  native  houses.  , 

Five  ducklings,  an  entire  brood,  three  or  four  days  old,  were 
taken  at  Las  Barrancas,  San  Feliz  River,  May  30,  1907. 


CHERRIE:  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  THE  ORINOCO  REGION.  373 

DENDROCYGNA  DISCOLOR  Sclater  &  Salvin. 
Dendrocygna  discolor  Scl.  &  Salv.,  Nomencl.  Av.  Neotr.  1873.  pp.  129, 

161 ;  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  131. 

Native  name  Guiriri.  Abundant.  This  and  the  following  species, 
Alopochen  jubatus,  are  the  most  common  ducks  found  on  the  Orinoco. 

ALOPOCHEN  JUBATUS  (Spix). 

Anser  jubatus  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  84.  PI.  108. 
Alopochen  jubatus  Berlepsch  &  Hartert.  p.  131. 

Native  name  Carrctew.  Abundant  along  the  banks  of  the  Orinoco 
and  its  tributaries. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  black  reddish  at  angle  of  commisure;  feet 
vermilion. 

This  is  the  most  abundant  species  of  "Duck"  in  the  Orinoco  region. 
Like  the  Pato  real,  it  is  frequently  seen  in  a  state  of  semi-domestication 
about  the  native  houses,  but  I  do  not  know  of  its  breeding. 

^  The  males  at  the  beginning  of  the  mating  season — December  and 
January — fight  some  terrific  battles,  and  where  a  large  flock  is  assem- 
bled, in  some  marshy  spot  near  the  river,  the  noise  of  battle  may  be 
heard  for  a  long  distance.  The  blows  of  the  wings  against  one  another 
and  the  constant  loud  guttural  "honking"  of  the  contending  birds  make  a 
deafening  racket.  The  females  feed  quietly,  apparently  not  taking 
much  interest  in  the  fray. 

This  species  like  the  Tree  Duck  (D.  discolor)  nests  in  hollow  trees. 

NETTION  BRASILIENSE   (Gmelin). 
Anas  brasiliensis  Gm.,  Syst.  Nat.  I.  1788.  p.  517. 
Nettion  brasilicnse  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  131. 

Native  name  Pato  Asulijo.  Not  common  at  points  visited  on  the 
Orinoco  proper,  but  abundant  about  the  marshes  in  the  vicinity  of  Las 
Guacas,  San  Feliz  River,  during  May,  1907. 

On  the  Orinoco  this  species  was  noted  at  Bolivar,  Altagracia.  Cai- 
cara  and  Ouiribana  de  Caicara. 

LARIDAE— GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 
PHAETHUSA  CHLOROPODA  (Vieillot). 

Sterna  chloropoda  Vieillot,  "N.  Diet.  d'Hist.   Nat.   XXXII:    1818:    171 
(Paraguay). 


374  BROOKLYN   INSTITUTE  MUSEUM.      SCIENCE  BULLETIN   2.  6. 

Phaethusa  magnirostris  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  132. 

Native  name  Guanaguanare. 

Eye  seal  brown;  bill  canary  yellow,  lightest  at  the  base;  feet  sul- 
phur yellow. 

One  of  the  most  abundant  and  characteristic  of  birds  along  the 
Orinoco.  It  is  likely  to  be  the  first  species  one  will  see  on  entering  the 
mouth  of  the  great  river,  and  as  he  proceeds  towards  the  head-waters 
it  will  follow  him,  and  even  when  he  crosses  through  the  Cassiquiare  and 
down  the  Rio  Negro  to  the  Amazon. 

The  nesting  season  begins  in  December  and  lasts,  until  February. 

STERNA  SUPERCILARIS  Vieillot. 

Sterna  superciliaris  Vieill.,  Nouv.  Diet.  XXXII.  1819.  p.  126;  Berlepsch 

&  Hartert,  p.  132. 

Native  name  Tenten.  Not  abundant  but  observed  everywhere  both 
on  the  lower  and  upper  stretches  of  the  river.  Fresh  birds  have  the  eye 
seal  brown;  bill  dark  Naples  yellow;  feet  dusky  sulphur  yellow. 

RYNCHOPS  NIGRA  CINERASCENS  (Spix). 

Rhynchops  cinerascens  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  II.  1825.  p.  80,  PI.  102. 
Rhynchops  nigra  -cinerascens  Berlepsch  &  Hartert,  p.  132. 

Native  name  Gaviota.  Common  all  along  the  middle  and  lower 
stretches  of  the  river. 

LARUS  ATRICILLA   (Linnaeus). 
Larus  atricilla  Linn.,  Syst.  Nat.  I,  1758,  p.  136  (Bahamas). 

Often  seen  in  company  with  the  Large-billed  Tern  (Phaethusa 
chloropoda)  about  the  mouths  of  the  Orinoco  and  common  at  almost 
all  points  along  the  shore  of  the  Bay  of  Paria. 


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